and the same And what is there more efficacious to improve such an holy friendship with God than serious expectations of the coming of our Lord Oh! how ambitious wil such be to have one and the same Mind Wil Affection and Conversation with Christ Paul was one of the best friends Christ ever had on earth and wherein lay his friendship chiefly but in conformitie to the death and life of Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 11. 2 Cor. 4.10 11. Always bearing about in the bodie the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our bodie c. Paul was couformable as wel to the death as to the life of Christ As Christ died for sin so he died to sin And as Christ lived to God so Paul in his mesure Christ was his great exemplar both in regard of active and passive obedience Christs exemple was not only the Rule but also Reason of his obedience The love of Christ to him and his love to Christ prevailed on him to live the life of Jesus The end of his suffering for and obedience to Christ was to manifest the life of Christ And what did wind up his Spirit to such a divine friendship and conformitie unto Christ but serious thoughts of his second coming So John tels us 1 Joh. 3.2 3. that every one who hath hopes of being found at last day a friend of Christ purifieth himself as he is pure And Paul informes us Tit. 2.11 12. That the Grace of God teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World i. e. in short that we should demonstrate our friendship to Christ by manifesting the life of Christ And then he addes the ground of al v. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ 2. Another part of friendship with Christ consistes in an holy Ambition to please him A true friend makes it his businesse to please and content his friend so Believers to please Christ And herein much of the Spirit of Godlinesse doth consist What is al pietie but a studious emulation and endeavor to please God Hence among the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Godly man was one that had a care to please the Gods Such also they stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophiles a friend of God Thus Enoch is said Heb. 11.5 to please God and what made him thus ambitious to please God but fiducial expectations of the coming of our Lord of which we find mention Jude 14. Such a Court-like ambition had Paul to please Christ 2 Cor. 5.9 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore i. e. because we have this Confidence and desire of being present with our Lord who is our best friend therefore we labor Si nificanter â— surpavit hoc votabulan quo soreasis quaedam ambitio hâ—norum propriè sig â—ificatur Bâ—za 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have a certain courtlike ambition and holy emulation of pleasing Christ Thence he addes v. 10. For we must al appear before the jugement seat of Christ Oh! what a prevalent argument was this to worke up Pauls spirit to an holy emulation of pleasing Christ Thus also Peter in the words following our text 2 Pet. 3.14 wherefore beloved seing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse Here he brings in the looking for the coming of the day of God as a strong argument inducing them to an holy emulation and contention after al manner of gracious qualities for the pleasing of Christ their friend 3. Another part of Godly friendship with Christ consists in importunate desires and endeavors to serve him It s a great saying of a serious Jansenist S. Cyran One of the most principal rules for solid devotion is that we let not passe the least occasion for serving God If there be any vacuum or emty space in our lives the Devil wil be sure to fil it up and so obstruct our friendship with Christ What more obsequious and officious than friendship and who are more industrious and unwearied in the service of Christ than such friends of his who dayly expect his second coming Thence that parabolic exhortation of our Lord Luk. 19.13 Luke 19.13 And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them occupie ' til I come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 employ al your thoughts vigor and activitie in my service and why til I come This is brought in as an argument or motive to engage them more effectually in his service A soul that lives much in the expectation of Christs coming wil spend as much time and strength as he can in the service of Christ but as little as he can in the service of sin Thus also it was with the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.7 So that ye come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Their waiting for the coming of our Lord is brought in by Paul as that which has a very efficacious causal Influence on the improvement of their gifts in order to the service of Christ And what made Paul so vigorous and laborious in the service of Christ but daily expectations of his returne So 1 Thes 2.19 For what is our hope our joy our crown of rejoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming That which made Paul so unwearied in his service for Christ among the Thessalonians was an eye fixed on the coming of Christ and the Crown he should then receive for al his labors Such thoughts make us do much in a little time for Christ 4. Lastly a main part of our friendship with Christ consists in an affectionate complacential remembrance of him in his absence and doth not the formal spirit hereof consist in looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God Are not they most mindful of him who daily expect his second coming Was not this one main intent of our Lord in the Institution of his last supper that we might thereby keep alive the memorial of him 1 Cor. 11.25 26. Thus 1 Cor. 11.25 This do ye as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me Friends at parting are wont to leave remembrances each of other so Christ left his last Supper as a love-remembrance with his friends Thence it follows 26. For as oft as ye eat this bread and drinke this cup ye do shew the Lords death ' til he come The coming of Christ and the expectation thereof is that which gives life to our remembrance of him The thoughts of Christs returne give a fresh lustre and sweetnesse to al love-tokens 15. Solid and deep expectations of our Lords coming have a particular and powerful Influence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
it affects Now there is a twofold nearnesse under which we are to look for the coming of the day of God First the nearnesse of its approche to us and Secondly the nearnesse of our approche to it 1. We are to look for the coming of the day of God in the nearnesse of its Approche to us This has ever been the great sin of the secure world that men look on the coming of the day of God as a thing remote Yea our Apostle Peter foretold that this would be the great sin of these last days so in some few verses before our Text 2 Pet. 3.3 4. knowing this first that there shal come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promisse of his coming c. And this prodigious piece of Atheisme which Peter presageth would befal these last days seems to have given the original occasion of the following discourse touching the second coming of our Lord Yea and that which is yet more remarquable is this that the nearer the day approcheth the more remote secure sinners by their unbelief make it to be Thence Peter dwels much on this argument that the day of Christs coming is near So v. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promisse Again v. 11. Seing al these things shal be Greek are dissolved c. He speakes in the present tense to shew the nearnesse of this day So that to look for the coming of the day of God is to look on it as near to us Thus Paul Phil. 4.5 The Lord is at hand And Hebr. 10.37 For yet a little while and he that shal come wil come and wil not tarrie The like Jam. 5.9 Behold the Judge standeth at the dore And if those primitive Saints looked on the coming of the day of God as near how much nearer then ought we to look on it Oh! with what swift wings doth it post towards us How soon wil winged time rush hinto Eternitie The last words that ever Christ spake or wil speak to the end of the world in a way of Gospel Administration were to assure us that he would come quickly Rev. 22.20 He which testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly Amen This Amen is a seal for ratification and confirmation to assure us that our Lord wil quickly come Lo do not the Heavens begin to open and make way for the coming of the Lord of Glorie May we not by a spiritual eye of faith see him coming in the clouds May not a gracious heart hear the last Trumpe ringing in its ears Is not that fire already kindled which ere long wil turne the whole globe of Heaven and Earth into flames Is not the Judge of quick and dead at the dore And ought we not then to look on the coming of the day of God as near 2 We are to look on the coming of the day of God as near in regard of our approche to it by Death Though the coming of this day should be never so remote in regard of the last jugement yet it is most certain that our approche to it by death is most near Alas who knows how soon any of us may behold our particular day of jugement staring us in the face Do we not al begin to die assoon as we begin to live Is not death as essential to us as life What is our present life but a coming into and going out of this world What is this present earthly Tabernacle we live in but our Inne our Hospital our Leper-house How soon wil a little time eat us out of our possession Doth it not then nearly concerne us to look dayly for death And is not this a main part of our looking for the coming of the day of God This was Pauls frame Phil. 1.23 Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better To depart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contains various emphatic notions proper to the sense It signifies 1. To loosen or relinquish our chains as prisoners 2. To depart from our Inne to our home 3. To weigh anchor and set sail 4. To loosen the cords of our Tents as Soldiers 5. To be resolved into our first elements as bodies corrupted So that Pauls longing desire was to depart from his bodie as his prison his Inne his Tent c. And why That he might be with Christ This made him so willing to be dissolved that so he might be taken into a more intimate union with his Lord for whose coming he so much looked He looked on the dissolution of his bodie to be but the conjunction of his soul with Christ Death was in his eye but a dore to life He knew death would take nothing from him but his prison his chain his clog his shame his sting his poison his burden his miserie This made him to look for the day of death as the day of his espousals and coronation So that it 's evident to look for the coming of the day of God implies our looking for death which is a great approche thereto And may we not take up this as a general observation that none have more lively expectations of the coming of their Lord than those who have most fresh and affectionate expectations of death And on the contrary do not they alwayes put far from them the coming of the day of God who put far from them thoughts of death such an essential and intimate connexion is there between these two Ah! think how soon your breath wil grow cold your eye strings break your soul stand trembling at the dores of your lips and take flight at the windows of your eyes and then you cannot but look for the coming of your Lord. Doth not the frailtie of life specially in these days engage us to look for death And are any more fit to live than those who think most of and prepare for dying Should we not whiles on earth so live as alwaies dying that so we may when death comes live alwayes with our Lord Is not life and death the same thing to him that daily lives in the expectation of and preparation for death Oh! then why should we not ever live in the expectation of death which wil join our soul and Christ together 2. Another Adjunct of the coming of the day of God is its Vnexpectednesse This is fully expressed 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord wil come as a thief in the night We al know the coming of a thief is unexpected yea the nearer he is the lesse usually he is expected Such wil be the coming of our Lord as he himself informes us Luke 12.39 40. If the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched Be ye therefore ready also For the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not We find this exemplified in the parable of the Virgins Mat.
Let your Thoughts and Affections ever worke according to the Dignitie of those objects you expect at the coming of your Lord and your Relation to them Hast thou a clear apprehension of thy Lords approche and some Assurance of an Interest in him O! then how should thy Love by al manner of vehement exercices both of desire hope Joy and satisfaction move towards thy Lord Or doest thou behold the coming of thy Lord but want a prevalent assurance of an Interest in him what an holy awe and filial fear of thy Lord what hatred and Indignation against sin oughtest thou to have 4. Make frequent suppositions of thy Lords Approche and thinke what thoughts thou wilt then have of things Remember with what swift wings time posteth away and Eternitie hastens towards thee Make such suppositions as these What if this night I should hear the midnight-crie Behold the bridegroom cometh how am I prepared to meet my Lord Can I look him with confidence in the face Wil my soul then be able to passe the fiery trial without being consumed 5. Do nothing but what thou wouldest do if the Lord were come This wil give thee much confidence in looking for the coming of thy Lord. They who mesure al their Actions by that day wil not care how soon it come Such as keep their spirits in an absolute submission to the Divine wil both as to doing and suffering are in the fittest posture to entertain their Lord. The reason why the most of men are so averse from looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God is the Irregularitie of their Actions which they know wil not bear the trial of that day 6. Contend daily with invincible Resolution and violent efforts towards the coming of the Day of God Go forward in the strength of the Lord with invincible courage and vigorous activitie to meet your Lord and remember what difficulties you meet with in your way wil be made up in the enjoyments that follow Alas what is it that keeps our souls at such a distance from the coming of the Day of God but the Formalitie and Dâ—â—dnesse of our Spirits in our race Is theâ—e much deadnesse in thine heart whereby thou art hindred in thy race And is there not much life in Christ to quicken thee then adhere to him draw from him of his fulnesse Grace for Grace that thou mayst run with speed the race set before thee Dread a loitering formal spirit as much as Hel. 7. Muse and consider much on the glorious effects which follow the coming of the day of God Remember that thy present thirsty desires wil then be turned into a love of Fruition and complacence How soon wil the Saints present tears be changed into eternal joys O! what an excellent thing is Heaven Doth it not as much or much more excede our present apprehensions as our present apprehensions excede our present enjoyments What are al present enjoyments whether spiritual or temporal but shadows in comparison of those celestial enjoyments Yea al we here enjoy is scarce a picture of that glorious state O! what a blessed day wil that be when the Saints shal leave though not their Natures yet al their imperfections both natural and sinful When al their Spiritual Darknesses Errors and Douts shal end in the beatific Vision of God as he is face to face When al their Rebellions of heart shal end in a perfect conformitie and subjection to the Divine Wil When al their unlawful passions and exorbitant Affections shal end in a regular harmonie and motion when al their Deadnesses in Duties shal end in the most vigorous and lively exercices of al manner of Graces When al their convulsions and terrors of Conscience shal end in complete assurance of Gods Love when al their Distances and Estrangements from God shal end in perfect Union and communion with God When al their troubles disgusts and dissatisfactions in this world shal end in perfect Rest and Satisfaction O! what a glorious blessed Day wil this be How would the serious and lively views hereof by faith fixe the heart in looking for and hastening to the coming of the Day of God 8. Familiarise thoughts of death unto thy soul and never rest satisfied ' til thou hast brought thine heart to a wel-grounded chearful willingnesse to be dissolved None look for and hasten to the coming of their Lord so much as they who daily wait for their change O! how welcome is death when it comes to those who daily look for it Who live better lives than they who continually thinke of death What more effectually engageth men to die unto althings of time than daily expectations of Death They who look for the dreadful hour of Death and Jugement how much do they despise al the dreadful things of this life Remember that death comes not the sooner for your expectation of it But the more you look for it the better prepared you wil be to entertain it when it comes You wil die out of choice not merely from necessitie I shal conclude with a great saying of that holy man Mr. John Rowe p. 124. of his life when he drew near to death why said he should we not be willing to die Christ came from Heaven to Earth to free us from sin and miserie and why should not we be willing to go from Earth to Heaven to be freed from sin and miserie FINIS Books Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior at the first Shop in Popes-Head-Alley at the three Bibles Who sells all sorts of Divinity-Books c. to Chapmen or others TWelve Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Magarets New Fish-street 1. Precious Remedies against Satans devices Or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ that slight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in Spirituals or decaving that are tempted or deserted afflicted or opposed that have assurance or want it on 2 Cor. 2.11 2. Heaven on Earth Or a serious Discourse touching a well-grounded Assurance of mans everlasting happinesse and blessednesse discovering the nature of assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty Questions on the 8. of the Romans 32 33 34 verses 3. The unsearchable Riches of Christ Or Meat for strong Men and Milk for Babes 〈…〉 two and twenty Sermons from Ephes
Affections 3. For Believers not to mind the coming of their Lord is a sin against the strongest and deepest obligations Doth not this oppose al our Covenants Resolutions Experiences Ordinances yea the bloud and heart of our dying and exalted Savior Was not this one main end of the death and exaltation of Christ that believers might live always in the expectation of him 4. What a World of other sins are maintained by our not looking for our Lords approche What more prevalent to feed Idol-lusts How is Conscience cast into fits of spiritual slumber hereby as Mat. 25.5 What a world of sloath deadnesse and formalitie is nourished hereby How much Instabilitie confusion and distraction of spirit is caused hereby 5. Yea how cruel and injurious are such to their own souls What a sting and poison doth this put into every affliction How doth it embitter the sweetest mercies Yea doth it not open a dore to al tentations and leave men shiftlesse under the greatest difficulties 5. Let us then al be exhorted henceforth daily to look for and hasten unto the coming of our Lord. And to provoke our hearts hereto let these following motives be duely considered by us 1. Is not that great day our time of Rest and do not al mind their Rest specially after hard labor and a tiresome journey would not al fain be at home when night comes What is this world but our Wildernesse 2. Consider the nearnesse of your Relation and the manifold engagements you stand in unto Christ Are you not maried unto Christ and doth not the law of mariage require that you daily expect the coming of your absent husband Remember you are not maried to the clay-Gods of time but to Christ who has laid infinite obligations on you daily to expect his returne 3. Consider also Christs Regard and Affection towards you Though his Bodie be in the supreme Heaven yet is not his eye of pitie and care yea and his heart with you Doth he not long for you and wil you not also long for him 4. Remember also what Influence this looking for your approching Lord hath on your heart and ways O! What Vigor and Strength doth it infuse into al that you do or suffer How much is the heart hereby fortified against al tentations and difficulties This wil be wings and spurs to the soul in every dutie The more you eye your home the more active wil you be in your way 5. Is not this likewise your Glorie and triumphe to turne your back on althings of time and daily to look for and hasten to the coming of your Lord Are you not hereby advanced into the highest forme of Christians yea taken up into the very spirit and life of Heaven Have you not hereby a beginning of Heaven a stampe of Glorie on your hearts and lives 6. Remember that al you do for your souls without a regard to the coming of the day of God is nothing You neither mind nor affect nor act any thing to purpose longer than you mind your Lords approche What is al your Religion without this but a dreaming sleepy loitering formalitie Al your Actions and passions for God which refer not to this day are lost 7. To look for and hasten unto the coming of your Lord puts you into a state of Libertie and freedome it makes you free-borne Citizens of Heaven as Phil. 3.20 Whereas al others are chained to the Idols of time prisoners to their lusts of servile ignoble spirits Nothing brings so much Amplitude and Libertie of heart and ways as daily looking for that great Day 8. Remember the judge standeth at the dore you are on the brink of Eternitie and dare you sleep or loiter when the judge is so near Is it not prodigious folie to lie dreaming on the precipice of Eternitie If you look not for the coming of your Lord is it not a black marque that wrath and jugement look for you Have you not sufficient cause to question your Interest in Christ if you altogether neglect and disregard his second coming 9. Know that your choisest comforts peace hopes Graces with the whole of the Divine Life depend greatly on your looking for and hastening unto the coming of your Lord. Christ wil never honor you with much peace joy and Grace if you wil not honor him with looking for and hastening unto his second coming 10. Future Blessednesse is entailed on our present looking for and hastening unto the coming of our Lord. Thus Heb. 9.28 And to them that look for him shal he appear the second time without sin unto salvation So that you see Christ wil appear to none in a way of salvation but such as look for him 11. Doth not the whole Creation excepting the secure sleepy world look for the coming of our Lord as Rom. 8.19 20 21. and wil you not do the same 12. Lastly To be altogether unmindful of your Lords approche argues a lifelesse senselesse heart Is not the expectation of your Lords approche your safest sweetest richest noblest life Oh! then what a sad death is it to be deprived either in part or in whole of that which is your highest life To be dead to Christ and his second coming which brings eternal life what a miserable death is this Is not al life dead and gone if your looking for your Lords returne be dead and gone To give a few Directions for our better looking for and hastening unto the coming of our Lord. 1. Make the promisse the mesure of thine expectations and let thy spirit be unsatisfied til thou hast got some assurance of an interest in the good things promissed at the coming of thy Lord. As the promisse alone can give being to thy faith and hopes so the Assurance of an interest in the things promissed gives life and vigor to thy looking for and hastening unto the coming of thy Lord. Thou canst not hope for the coming of thy Lord without a promisse neither wilt thou hasten towards it without some persuasion of an Interest in the things promissed Leave not soul-concernes under any hazards or peradventures Rest not satisfied in any condition ' til you are sure you can look Christ in the face when he comes without fear or shame In order hereto cast up your accounts daily and never be satisfied without some assurance your sins are pardoned 2. Be ever parting with the Idols of time Let no false God or Image of Jealousie loge in your heart Remember the Lord usually conveigheth his most deadly poison through the sweet wine of prosperitie O! how many by having their eyes dazled with the glorie of this world have lost the sight of their Lords approche How soon are our eyes misted and hearts bewitched with the golden pleasures of that heart-inveigling Idol the World Oh! at what a distance ought we to keep from the wals of this Pest-house what have we to do with this dirty Idol which the degenerate Sons of Adam Worship and adore 3.