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.
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—f Plat. Dixerunt Stoici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—avor on our sanctifying Gods name in Worship wherein much of the power of Godlinesse doth consist So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its primary notion signifies one that Worships God aright and so it is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus according to the Platonist Godlinesse is a facultie of worshipping God and so the Stoics said That Godlinesse was a Science of Worship due to the Gods Whence a Godly man was among the Grecians one that ministred unto or worshipped God And indeed that a main fundamental part of Godlinesse consisteth in the sanctifying Gods name in Worship is most evident because al pretenders to Godlinesse do mostly concerne themselves about maters of worship And the serious Jansenist S. Cyran assures us That the least points in worship are of greatest consequence Whence there is nothing more opposed by Satan than Divine Worship which sufficiently evinceth that the chief of Godlinesse consisteth therein Now nothing hath a greater influence on the sanctifying Gods name in worship than serious expectations of our Lords second coming 1. We sanctifie Gods name in Worship when we abase our selves and advance his name therein Al eminence is worshipt by an humble reverence and submission Hence humble spirits are ever the fitest subjects for devotion Now none raise God higher in their hearts and depresse themselves lower than such as daily expect the coming of their Lord. Oh! with what an humble reverence and tremblement of heart do such worship God 2. Again we sanctifie Gods name in worship when we worship him in spirit and in truth A worship that hath not an inward root and spring in the heart deserves no better name than superstition Our Lord tels us John 4.23 The true worshippers are those that worship the father in Spirit and in truth Formal devotion is but a kind of irreligion Such duties are the devils galleries not Christs none worship God in truth but such as worship him in Spirit And who worship God in spirit and truth more than such as daily expect the coming of their Lord Oh! what a reverent and high estime have such of God when they draw nigh to him How do they adore the Grandeurs of God 3. Moreover they sanctifie the name of God who watch their hearts and keep out vain thoughts and terrene Affections whiles they are in the worship of God This is termed Eccles 5.1 Eccles 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God This seems to allude to the custome of discalceation or putting off their Shoes used both by the Jews and Gentiles in going to the place of worship which I presume had its rise from that command of God to Moses Exod. 3.5 Put off thy Shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Hence that Symbol of Pythagoras worship and Sacrifice with thy Shoes off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep look to observe watch narrowly Thy foot i. e. thy Thoughts thine Affections thy whole soul and man It s the manner of the Scripture under one single Gesture or Act to signifie the whole worship represented thereby So that the sense is keep an accurate and curious observation of thy soul when thou engagest in the worship of God And oh how exact and accurate in keeping their hearts are such as daily expect their Lords approche 4. Lastly they sanctifie the name of God in Ordinances and Worship who are unsatisfied til they have acquired the gain and benefit of Ordinances In al worship one that sanctifies the name of God is carried above the act of worship unto Christ And surely none mind and taste more of Christ in ordinances than such as daily look for and hasten to his second coming Oh! what a ful draught do such drinke of the satisfying sweetnesses of Christ in duties Thus Psal 22.26 Psal 22 26. The meek shal eat and be satisfied By eating here is chiefly to be understood a feeding on a Crucified Christ This is evident both from the title and main subject of the Psalme The Title Aijeleth Shaar signifies the Hind or Hart of the morning i. e. the Hind which is hunted and killed in the morning So v. 16. That Christ is this hunted Hind is evident from v. 1 8 18. which are applyed to Christ Mat. 27.46 35 43. Christs Crucifixion extends to v. 22. where begins a prophetic triumphe over al his sufferings v. 26. is a solemne invitation made by Christ to believers to come and feast with him on the benefits of his death and passion and the manner of speech is taken from the custome of those times in which those who had been delivered out of great dangers were wont to celebrate the same by Sacrifices and public feasts The meck i. e. the humble broken-hearted believer Shal eat i. e. feed on my death and passion my bodie and bloud with al the benefits thereof And be satisfied i. e. find a satisfying sweetnesse therein So far as the thirst of total indigence shal be quenched albeit not their thirst of fruition Ay but what must the meek do that so they may feed on and be satisfied in a crucified Christ why they must seek him so it follows They shal praise the Lord that seek him i. e. seek him in every Ordinance specially in the Lords Supper Ay but how must they seek him They must seek him not only in his present influences but also by waiting for and hastening to his second coming Again with what a spiritual fervor and holy violence do such prevail with God in Prayer What a rich trade do they drive for heaven How diligent attentive and affectionate are they in hearing the Word How are their minds illuminated their hearts quickened their affections warmed their Resolutions strengthened and their whole souls enlarged fixed and elevated in Meditation So great is the influence which the lively expectation of Christs second coming has on the sanctifying Gods name in Worship and al the parts thereof 16. Serious expectations of our Lords approche have a prevalent Influence on walking with God which is another great and essential part of Godlinesse By walking with God I understand communion with God not only in Acts of Worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor but also in the whole of our conversation And such is a Godly man indeed Thus among the Grecians a Godly man was one that conversed much or had communion with the Gods Whence the more devote among the Heathens had their Lectisternia or Beds Of these Lectisternia see Court Gent. part 1. B. 2. c. 9. sect 10. exhibited in their Temples on which they pretended to feast and hold communion with their Gods O! what a rare instance of Godlinesse is he that has communion with God not only in acts of immediate Worship but also in the whole of his conversation Many Christians enjoy at times