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
clog to the spirit I conceive that hereafter they shall be like Angels for quick and nimble motion they may be so qualified as in a moment to move many thousand miles why may not they move so quick then as well as the Sun and other Stars in the Firmament do so now which are bodies of many thousand times greater magnitude 6. The bodies of the righteous will be incorruptible and immortal 1 Cor. 15. 43. It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption And v. 52 53. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump the dead shall be raised incorruptible for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality And v. 54. Then shall come to pass the saying which is written Death is swallowed up in victory Now death is unavoidable and unto some is very terrible death hath all the children of men in the chase and shoceâ— his arrows at the righteous as well as the wicked and though they be delivered from the sting of death which is sin yet they are not delivered from the stroke of death but however death play the tyrant here on the earth and spare none yet he will have no footing in Heaven the bodies of the righteous when raised up again will be impassible and immortal immortality will be swallowed up of life and the life of the body as well as of the soul will be everlasting 2. The souls of the righteous will be the subjects and the chief subjects of the glory and happiness of Heaven if their bodies shall be glorious their souls shall be much more glorious as being their more excellent part and capable of more glory than their bodies will be we read Rom. 8. 18. Of the glory which shall be revealed in us that is in the soul and the Apostle tells us that The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with this glory the greatest sufferings and calamities in this World have not that evil and misery in the least shaddow of comparison with the happiness of the glory which shall be put into the souls of the Saints indeed the Apostle doth compare them and see how he makes this future glory to out-ballance 2 Cor. 4. 17. These light offlictions which are but for a moment do work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory The afflictions are light but the glory will be weighty the afflictions are but for a moment but the glory will be eternal the weight of glory will be exceeding more exceeding far more exceeding here the Apostle layes one high expression upon the back of another and another upon that like so many great Mountains upon the back one of another and when he hath got upon the top of the highest of them yet he is too low to look into the glory of Heaven and his expressions and apprehensions fall short of the glory which shall be revealed in the soul when it shall be received into the new Ierusalem for it is yet to be revealed and therefore as the Apostle Iohn saith I Ioh. 3 2. It doth not yet appear what we shall be but when Christ shall appear we shall be made like him not only the body shall be made like his glorious body but also the soul shall be made like his glorious soul for we shall see him as he is as the eye doth receive the image of the object which it looks upon so the soul in its vision of Christ shall receive the Image of Christ and have a perfect similitude and likeness unto him the soul will be made most beautiful the perfect lineaments of Christ will be drawn upon it if grace makes the soul to shine here how much more will glory which is grace in the perfection of it make the soul to shine in Heaven and therefore grace is called glory it is glory begun 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The Vail which was under the Law is now taken away and with open face we behold the glory of the Lord that is I conceive the Lord Jesus Christ who is the glory of the Father the brightness of the Fathers glory which glory was more dark to our view under the Law represented by the cloud which filled the Temple but now there is more clear revelation of Christ without the Vail and clouds of types and figures whom we now see in the Glass of the Word and Ordinances and hereby are changed into his Image and receive froâ— him impressions of grace which is glory begun through the operation of his spirit in his Ordinances upon us yet stil we see him in a Glass and therefore there is a darkness through this interposition and the eye of our faith which looks thorow this Glass upon Christ is weak and therefore our Graces are imperfect and our similitude to him is imperfect but when the Glasse shall be removed and instead of the sight of faith we shall have an immediate Vision then our souls will be changed into a perfect conformity unto his Image and it will not be from glory to glory from one degree unto another but glory will be arrived unto its heighth and the souls of the righteous will be made perfectly glorious their souls will then have perfection of holiness without the least remainders of sin which in this World the most holy Persons are not wholly free from 1. Their thoughts shall be holy no blaâ—phemous thoughts shall then arise in their minde no filthy thoughts no eâ—vious and malicious thoughts yea they shall not have the least vanity or impertinency in their thoughts all their thoughts shall then be brought into pâ—rfect obedience unto Jesus Christ. 2. Their understandings shall be holy there shall not be the least Cloud or mist of ignorance or errour to darken and â—ully them when they appear before the glorious Sun of righteousness the brightness which will issue forth from his face will dispel all clouds and they will have a clear understanding of all things which will be needful foâ— them to know to make them happy God will then unlock his treasures open his Books which â—â—w are sealed and open their understandings too that they may conceive those mysteries of his word and that manifold wisdome of God which now do exceed their comprehensions 3. Their memories shall be holy they shall be strengthnâ—d to retain and bring forth continually out of their treasures whatever things new or old shall tend to feed them with love and joy and elevate their souls in the praiâ—es of God 4. Their wills shall be perfectly holy there shall be a sweet harmony between their wills and â—he will of God a perfect compliance with the sweet Law which they shall be under without the least contranitency or contradiction they shall not
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
CHRIST'S Certain and sudden Appearance TO JUDGMENT By Thomas Vincent sometime Minister of Maudlins Milstreet London Heb. 10. 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry LONDON Printed for George Calvert and are to be sold at the Bible in Iewen-street 1667. TO THE Citizens of London YOu have heard God's Terrible Voice in the City expressing it self in the late dreadful desolating Judgments of Plague and Fire the sound of which hath gone forth not only into every corner of the Land but I believe also by this time unto the farthest end of the World Give me leave to sound another Trumpet in your ears and to forewarn you of a ten thousand times more dreadful Judgment I mean the last and general Judgment of the whole World at the second appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ who will most certainly and very quickly be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire to take vengeance upon all them which shall be found ungodly on that Day Could I have certainly foretold the many thousands that sell by the Plague in the year 1665 of their so neer approaching death surely they would have endeavoured to prepare that the sting and fear of death might have been removed could I have foretold the Citizens of London of the many thousand Houses which should fall by the Fire in the year 1666 surely they would have endeavoured to prevent the Fire or at least have removed all their goods before-hand but these things could not be foreseen and therefore as the Judgments were unexpected so they took the most unprovided But I can certainly foretell you from God who cannot lie of the future 〈◊〉 Judgment by the Lord Jesus Christ at the last day which is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And when you have warnings hereof out of the Word of Truth and awakening motives to prepare by dreadful temporal Judgments you should neglect to do it and after all be found unprovided at the appearance of Christ as your sin will be the greater and more inexcusable so your dread will be the greater at the sight of your Judge whom those very eyes which read these lines will behold ere long coming in the Clouds and your punishment will be the more intollerable But if the Lord encline your hearts to follow the directions and counsels of his Word to prepare for this great and notable day you shall lift up your heads with joy when the greatest part of the World shall be filled with terrour and confusion and when the Lord Jesus doth appear you also shall appear with him in glory The design of these sheets is to set forth the glorious appearance of Christ with the certainty and suddenness thereof that sinners might be awakened to repent and believers might be comforted with the hopes of it and all might be in a readiness for the day which is so sure and near which that you may be and that my endeavours may be blessed for your help herein is the prayer of an earnest well-wisher to your souls Thomas Vincent The Contents chapter 1 Introduction 2. Doctrines Doct. 1. That the Lord Iesus Christ will certainly and quickly appear Doct. 2. That there is an earnest desire and longing in the Church after Christs appearance pag. 1 2. 1. Concerning Christs appearance 1. In the Flesh. p. 2 3 4. chapter 2 2. In glory where concerning 1. The manner of his appearance p. 5. 1. With great Power 1. Over Death p. 6. 2. Over Men and Devils p. 7 8. 2. With great glory p. 8 9. 1. He will be attended with a glorious retinue of Angels p. 10. 11. chapter 3 2. He will come with a glorious brightness and great noise 9. 12 13 14. 2. The end of Christs appearance and transactions of that day p. 15. 1 He will raise the dead p 16 to 19 2 He will gather all Nations before his judgment Seat p 19 3 He will separate the righteous from the wicked p 20 21 4. He will open the Books 1. Of Gods remembrance p. 22. to 27. 2. Of Mens consciences p 27 3 Of the Law p 28 4 Of the Gospel p 28 29 5 Of life p 30 5. He will judge both the righteous and wicked p. 30 Where 1. Concerning their particular Iudgment 2. Concerning the execution of their sentence pronounced p. 30. chapter 5 1 Concerning the Iudgment of the righteous 1 The immediate Antecedents are 1 Their Resurrection p 31 32 2 Their meeting with the Angels p 33 3 Their meeting one with another p 34 4 Their being caught up together into the air p 35 5 Their meeting with the Lord p 36 to 40 chapter 6 2 The Iudgment it self p 40 1 He wil take an account of them p 41 1 Of their graces p 42 2 Of the improvement of their talents ibid. 3 Of their works of mercy p 43 4 Of their afflictions p 44 2 He will pronounce the Sentence upon them p 44 45 chapter 7 2 Concerning the Iudgment of the wicked 1 The immediate antecedents are 1 Their resurrection and meeting of body and soul p 46 to 50 2 Their meeting with Devils p 50 51 3 Their meeting one with another p 52 4 Their seeing the righteous caught up to meet the Lord p 53 to 61 5 Their seeing the Lord Iesus Christ coming to judge them p 59 to 64 6 Their seeing the Iudgment of the righteous p 64 chapter 8 2 The Iudgment it self here concerning 1 The Iudge in 8 properties p 64 to 72 2 The Assessors p 73 3 The Malefactors p 74 75 4 The crimes p 76 77 5 The accusers 1 God p 78 79 2 Men good Minist p 80 to 83 godly friends p 83 to 87 bad 3 Devils ibid. 4 Their own consciences p 87 6 The conviction where twenty sorts of sinners are called forth and convicted by the Iudge from p. 87 to 115 7 The sentence p 116 117 chapter 9 2 Concerning the execution of the sentence pronounced upon both righteous and wicked in judgment 118 1. The execution of the sentence on the wicked 1. Of the wicked going away 1. From whom viz. 1. Christ ibid. 2. Saints 119 2. From what ibid. 3. Six vexing considerations in their going away from p. 120 to p. 130 2. Of the wickeds going into punishment 1. Of the punishment they shall go into p 131 1. The Inflicter p. 132 133 2. The Subject Soul p 134 Body p. 135 3. The properties 1. Universal 2. Extream 3. Continual 4. Remediless 5. Eternal p. 136. to 142 chapter 10 2. Of their entrance into this punishment p. 143 144 2. The execution of the sentence on the righteous p. 145 1. Of the righteous going away 1. From whom viz. Devils p. 146 Wicked p. 147 2. From what ibid. 3. Three sweet considerations in their going away from p. 147. to 152 2. Of the righteous going into eternal life 1. Of the eternal life they shall go into or their happiness 1.
in the flesh CHAP. III. 2. THe second appearance of Christ will be in Glory at the last day when the world shall come to an end this is the appearance we are treating of and therefore I shall speak of it more largely and show 1. The manner of this appearance 2. The end and transactions at this appearance 1. Concerning the manner of Christs second appearance what tongue of Men or Angels is able to set it forth what heart can conceive the splendour thereof Something the Scripture doth reveale and taking the Scripture for my guide I shall assay to speak something of it See Luke 21. 27. Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a Cloud with Power and great Glory 1. Christ at his second appearance will come with Power with great power he hath all power put into his hands in Heaven and in Earth now and doth exercise it more secretly then he will exercise it more visibly and apparently in the sight of the whole world To give instance 1. He will come with power over Death Death hath had great power since the Fall and is the greatest Conquerour in the world Death hath made an universal Conquest over all the sons and daughters of Adam Enoch and Elias only excepted which lived in former generations and hath led them captive binding their faces in secret chaining their hands and their feet and clapping them up close prisoners in the grave and none have been able to make resistance yea Death did assail the Lord of Life himself and got the victory for a while and shut him up in prison but he got loose before three daies were at an end broke open the doors and gave Death a deep wound as it were and an abolishing stroke in his Resurrection 2 Tim. 1. 10. presaging the compleat victory which afterward he would obtain over this enemy of man-kind Now when Christ makes his second appearance in the world at the last day he will exercise his power over death he will lead captivity captive he will lay his first Hands on Death and tread this Conquerour under his feet and strip him of all his force and spoils which he hath been treasuring up for so many years he will snatch the keys of the grave out of the hand of Death and open the prison doors and let forth all his captives he will loosen all the bonds of Death and knock off his chains and bring out all his prisoners into freedom and enlargment as it is said Hos. 13. 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy destruction And it is said 1 Cor. 15. 25 26. that all enemies shall be put under the feet of Jesus Christ and the last enemy which he shall destray is Death And v. 54. When this mortall shall put on immortality then Death shall be swallowed up in victory And surely Christ must needs come with great power to get victory over such a potent enemy 2. He will come with power over Men and Devils he will have power over all his enemies which have rebelled against him over all the Principalities and Powers on the Earth that exercise Lordship and dominion in the World he will bring the Kings of the Earth down from their seats and pluck off the robes of Princes he will take the staff and the sword out of their hand and divest them of all their royalty and greatness and they who have employed their borrowed power against him how will they quake and tremble before him See Rev. 11. 15 16 17 18. When the seventh Angel sounded there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of the World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever And the four and twenty Angels fell on their faces saying we give thee thanks O Lord God all-mighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to thy Saints and them that fear thy name small and great and shouldst destroy them which destroy the Earth The Kings of the Earth and great Potentates will be angry when they are dis-throned and the wicked of the Earth will be troubled when the Lord Jesus shall come down from Heaven to call them to Judgment If all the Powers of wicked Men and Devils too who are greater in power than Men could they would make head and resist the Lord Jesus Christ and pull him from his Throne and put him to death as the Iewes did at his first appearance if they had but any hopes of making their party good against him how would they call their forces and gather their Armies and wage War with this great King especially when all the wicked shall be raised up and the ancient Rebels the Giants of the old World shall come forth of their dust and the Prison of Hell where some of them have been tormented by him many years O how would they combine their strength and so many millions of them together rush upon him with rage and violence and endeavour to avenge themselves upon him at least defend themselves against him when he comes to torment them but Christ will come with so great power that he will be able to deale with the whole wicked world of men together when they are raised and united in one body and have obtained more strength of body and are filled with more rage and spight of minde than here they had and are out of all hopes of making any peace with him and have the whole flock of all the Devils in Hell to joyn in to their company I say Christ will come with sufficiency of strength to binde them all in Chains and so to hold them all down that they shall not be able to make the least resistance he that hath power to raise the wicked from the dead will have power to keep all his Enemies from Rebellion he will come with Power 2. Christ will come at his second appearance with great glory At his first appearance he came like a Servant yea like a Servant of Servants at his second appearance he will come like a Lord yea like a Lord of Lords like the great Lord of glory at his first appearance he was â—loathed with dishonour and a chain of contempt was put about him but at his second appearance he will be cloathed with glory and honour and most excellent Majesty will be put upon him at his first appearance his Deity was vailed his beauty was masked with infirm flesh his brightness was under a Cloud though sometimes some beams did break forth with such a dazling lustre as made Peter fall at his feet saying Depart
patience in our steads that he might redeem us from sin and death and wrath to come that we might not perish but have overlasting life O wonderful unconâ—eivable love What so glorious a Person to be made man to be made sin to be made a curse to do such things to suffer such things for such mean vile cursed â—inners as we that we might be blessed and happy with him O surpassing superlative kindness Is this he who made choice of us when he chose so few that called us when the most were passed by that pitcht his love upon us when there was no attractive in us nothing to move him but his own bowels that revealed his secrets to us when he hid them from the wise and prudent that brought us nigh when we were afar off and made us fellow-Citizens and fellow-heirs with the Saints and of the houshold of God who were by nature children of wrath even as others O astonishing free grace Is this he who cloathed us when we were naked even with the robes of his own righteousness that washed us when we were defiled even in the fountain of his own blood that cheared us when we were troubled even with the comforts of his own Spirit that strengthned us when we were weak even with his might and glorious power in our inner man was it from this Person that we received our pardon our peace our supports our graces our encouragements and all the sweet refreshments we have found in Ordinances Is this the Advocate whom we made choice of relied and trusted upon fâ—r life and salvation Is this the Master whom we followed and whose work we were imployed about Is this the Captain whose colours we wore and under whose banner we fought Is this the Lord whom we obeyed the friend the husband whom we loved and is he so glorious O how will the Saints be wrapt up with admiration and joy how will they be all in a flame of burning love and affection when they come to behold the Lord Jesus Christ himself and view him in such glory as then he will be decked withall when they come to see him face to face who hath such loveliness in his face and such love in his heart unto them It is said 1 Pet. 1. 8. whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakabâ—e and full of glory If so be that the Saints do now love Christ whom they never saw only have heard of and belâ—eved the report of the word how will they love him when they have this sight of him and see a thousandfold more beauty in him than was reported or could be imagined if so be that now sometimes they rejoyce with glorious and unspeakable joy in believing what will they do when they come to see him in his glory If they can now rejoyce in tribulations and take pleasure in the cross and reproach of Christ what will they finde in their masters joy and the Crown which he now comes to put upon their heads O how glad will they be that they have been counted worthy to suffer any thing for such a Saviour It will be a joyful time indeed unto the Saints when they are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air And the joy of Christ will be no less to meet with them O with what an eye will he view them when they are arising and ascending with so much of his beauty and lustre upon them none can conceive the love and delight which the Lord Jesus will take in them at that day he will look upon them as those who were beloved by the Father and himself from all eternity as those who fetcht him out of heaven before to redeem them and now to glorifie them he will look upon them as the travel of his soul as the price of his blood he will look upon them as his Jewels as spoils taken out of the hands of his enemies he will look upon them as plants grown up unto perfection as servants who have done their work as those who have kept up his honour in the world he will look upon them as members of his body he will look upon them as his dearest spouse and most beautiful bride who now cometh to be joyned to him more neerly and to live with him for ever O the love and joy of Christ at this meeting If so be that Christ so dearly loved his Spouse and could delight in her too when she was black and sooty when her clothes were spotted and stained when her affections were weak low and inconstant how will he love and rejoyce in her when she is made perfectly like to himself and so beautiful with his comeliness when her stains are all washed off and she is presented before him without spot wrinkle blemish or any such thing when she shall be arrayed in white and hath put on her shining garments and appear so lovely and her love shall be so high and full and strong and flaming Never did Lovers meet with such delight joy on their wedding-day as Christ and his Spouse will meet at the day of his second appearance O the sweet smiles the Saints will see in the face of Christ Smiles upon them such glances of love will sparkle forth from his eyes as will ravish their hearts O the sweet words they will hear the welcome he will give them when they first meet when they are come he will place them at his right hand So much concerning the more immediate Antecedents of the judgment of the righteous CHAP. VI. 2. THe second thing is to speak concerning the Judgment it self of the righteous Anâ— there are two things the Scripture speaks of which Christ will do at his second appearance in the judgment of the righteous 1. He will take an account of them 2. He will pronounce the sentence upon them 1. Christ will take an account of the righteous Rom. 4. 10 12. We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ and every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God though the righteous shall not be brought to condemnation yet they shall be brought into judgment which will be for their masters honour and their own especially of those who can give a good account of the Talents their Lord hath intrusted them withall I know it is a question amongst Divines whether the sins of Gods people will be mentioned and made manifest at the last day of judgment I shall not determine the question since the Scripture is not so plain Possibly the Lord having pardoned them covered them blotted them out of the book of his remembrance he will not mention them on that day but sure I am if they should be mentioned it will not be to their disgrace and grief but to their more abundant joâ— in the Lord who hath forgiven them If they should read their sins in the book of Gods remembrance
with me into Heaven and ye shall live and reign with me for ever and ever Come along and enter now into your Masters joy come and I will shew you the Father and bring you into his house and presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore And now Beloved think with your selves what joyes what exultations what clapping of hands what shouâ—ings what Hallelujahs what Hosannahs what triumphing acclamations the Saints will make upon the hearing of these words But here words fail conceptions fall short who can utter what the affections and behaviour of the righteous will be when they have their sentence and hear such sweet and gracious words from the mouth of their Judge and Redeemer Thus concerning the Judgment of the righteous CHAP. VII 2. COncerning the judgment of the wicked at the second appearance of Jesus Christ in treating hereon I shall as in the judgment of the righteous speak 1. Of the immediate antecedents 2. Of the Iudgment it self 1. The immediate Antecedents of the judgment of the wicked will be 1. The Resurrection of their Bodies from the grave all the wicked that are dead shall be raised though not so soon yet as certainly as the righteous Ioh. 5. 28 29. The hour cometh that all that are in their graves shall hear his voice not only they that have done good shall come forth to the Resurrection of life but also they that have done evil to the resurrection of demnation When the wicked die their bodies are clapt up in the Prison of the Grave where they rot and putrifie under the chains of death which are laid upon them and their souls are shut down into the Prison of Hell where they are bound up in chains of darkness and wo and reserved unto the judgment of the great day when the Lord Jesus shal appear to judge the World he will bring the keys of death and hell along with him and open both these Prison doors not to give liberty and releasâ— to the Prisoners but as Prisons are opened at Assizes to bring them forth unto Judgment he will open the Prison of Hell and all the souls of the wicked shall come forth like so many Locusts out of the bottomless Pit and he will open the Prison of the Grave and all their bodies shall creep like so many ugly â—oades out of the Earth and then soul and body shall be joyned together again and this meeting will be sad beyond expression the meeting of the souls and bodies of the righteouâ— will not be more joyful than the meeting of the souls and bodies of the wicked will be doleful possibly some of the wicked had no bands in their death and their souls went forth of their bodies without much pain or fear but their entrance into their bodies again will be with unexpressible horrâ—ur and if some of the wicked had their consciences awakened at death and they lay down with terrour when they awake and rise again from the dead it will be with far greater terrour The old World dyed in a fright with the deluge of Water which over-whelmed them Corah Dathan and Aliram with their Company died in a fright at the cleaving and opening of the Earths mouth which swallowed them up Iudas and other despairing souls died in a fright at the apprehensions of the open mouth of Hell ready to receive their guilty spirits but none of the wicked could go forth of their bodies in such a fright as they will enter into them again at the last day the damned souls have been lying in Hell many years full of anguish in their separation and they know that their anguish will be encreased by the torment of their bodies in their union and no wonder if they be exceedingly unwilling and fearful to enter into their old lodging their bodies have been sleeping all this while in the dust and have felt no pain at all and O how unwelcome a guest will their souls then be never was death so terrible unto them as life will be at that day they had rather sleep still in their grave and continue in their rottenness and corruption they had rather lie hid for ever in the dust of oblivion or be quite annihilated like beasts than to arise again unto such torments as now they must undergo but they must arise willing or unwilling It is said that the vile bodies of the righteous shall at the last day be fashioned like unto Christs most glorious body Phil. 3. 21. They shall be made like unto Christs body in beauty and glory but the bodies of the wicked will have another hue and fashion if it were possible to fashion bodies like Devils those impure and foul spirits such spiritual bodies the wicked should have be sure their bodies shall have no glory put upon them but as they lay down vile bodies they shall rise up far more vile they lay down in dishonour and they shall be raised in far greater dishonour indeed they will be raised incorruptible and immortal but this will not be for their glory but that they may be capable of the greater and longer torment and misery their bodies will be so far from being made beautiful like unto Christ that I believe they will not regain that natural beauty which they had here upon the Earth now some of them ouâ—-shine Gods own Children whose chief beauty lies inward in external comeliness then none but the bodies of Gods children will shine the bodies of the wicked most probable will be swarthy black ugly monstrous bodies if there be a ghastliness upon the bodies of the most beautifull when they are dead what a ghastliness will there be upon the bodies of all the wicked when the second death shall seize upon them were their bodies never so beautiful in themselves yet their features would quickly be altered by the horrible passions of their minde the blackness and dread of the soul would quickly appear in their countenance besides the impressions which the Fire of Hell will have upon them The soul will finde nothing in the body which will give it any delight or ease or in the least contribute unto the asswagement of its anguish it will return into the body as into a Prison or Dungeon where there is no pleasure to be found and if the body be black how black will the soul be after so long abode with foul Devils in the lower Regions of darknesse And when such foul souls and such vile bodies meet what a meeting what a greeting will there be we may fancy a kinde of language to be between them at that day The soul to the body Come out of thy hole thou filthy dunghil flesh for the pampering and pleasing of whom I have lost my self for ever who hast stollen away my time and thoughts and heart from God and Christ and Heavenly things to feed and cloath and cherish thee and make provision to satisfy thy base deceitful lusts when I should have
Christ into your hearts in regard of his Spirit and grace it is a sign you have sincere desires after his coming in glorie when grace will arrive to itâ— perfection Can you understandingly and heartily pray Thy Kingdome come I mean that Christ's Kingdome of grace should be erected in your hearts and are sincerely desirous to have all things within you brought into subjection and obedience thereunto Do you sincerely and earnestly desire the presence of Christ and the breathings of his Spirit upon your hearts in his Ordinances it is a sign that there are at least true radical desires in you after his second appearance though by reason of doubts and feares they may not be so expresse 3. If you have laid up your treasure in Heaven and placed your happinesse in things above if you have cast the Anchor of your hope upward into that which is within the Vail it is a sign you have true desires after Christ's appearance that he might give you possession of the happinesse which you have made choice of 4. If you are careful to please the Lord and whether present or absent to be accepted of him and are affraid of sin because it is grievous to him and are diligent in the use of means to fit and prepare your selves and make all things readie for the receiving of him it is a sign you do both look for his coming and do desire it 5. And lastly if you have lively hopes of his coming and can rejoice in those hopes if you can with earnestness pray Come Lord Iesus come quickly this is a sign indeed of your desires though all true Believer have not attained to so great a heighth Unbelievers they do not desire Christ's appearance because they do not believe in him because they do not love him because their hearts are set upon the world because they are under the guilt and power of sin and because when Christ doth appear he will judge them condemn them and punish them But though they do not desire Christ's coming nor think of it nor prepare for it yet Christ will come and his coming will be dreadful unto them Believers they desire Christ's coming they 〈◊〉 looking for it and waiting for it they are â—â—ping for it and preparing for it and he will certainly he will quickly appear and they shall appear with him in glorie and this appearance 〈◊〉 be a most comfortable and joyful appearance uâ—â— them which leads unto the second Word whiâ—â— I am to speak 2. For the comforting of Believer Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quicâ—ly appear to Judgment here then is a full breaâ— of the sweetest consolation at which you may suâ— and be satisfied and exceedingly refreshed As 〈◊〉 very word in this Doctrine speaks terror to Siâ—ners so every word doth breathe forth comfort true Believers and therefore I shall endeavoâ—â— hence to help work up your hearts unto spâ—ritual Joy 1. Rejoice Believers rejoice Christ will appâ—â— to Iudgment Christ will appear in his Glorie tâ—â— great God and your Saviour will appear He thâ— is your Saviour and Advocate will then be thâ— Judge of the World your Lord and King wiâ—â— appear attended with a glorious Train of heâ—â— venlie Courtiers decked with glorious beaâ—â— of most excellent Majestie Your Captain 〈◊〉 appear the Captain of your Salvation with 〈◊〉 spoils of his and your enemies and he will riâ—â— triumphantly in the Clouds your dearly beloveâ— Friend and Husband will appear with such beautâ— and lovelinesse in his face and with such deâ—â— love towards you in his heart as hath not entreâ— into your hearts to conceive the Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— will be glorious in the eyes of the whole world on that day and should not this rejoice your heart to think of the glorie of your Lord which will be then so conspicuous and of your interest in such a Person 2. Rejoice Believers rejoice Christ will certainly appear if there were any grounds to doubt the truth of this thing you would have reason to grieve but when the thing is so certain when God hath revealed it in his Word so clearlie when the Lord hath promised it to his people so faithfully and given his People hopes and expectations of it he will not disappoint them You have reason to rejoice there is nothing more certain as hath been proved than the second appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at the last day 3. Rejoice Believerâ—s rejoice Christ will quickly appear the coming of the Lord draweth nigh there is a time set though you cannot know it because God hath locked up this secret in his own bosome yet you may know that it cannot now be far off the Lord will not tarrie much longer in Heaven before he come down to Judgment Look up then and lift up your heads with joy for the day of your Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. You will not long groan under the bondage and burden of corruption You will not long mourn and complain under the persecutions of cruel Enemies You will not long be assaulted and bufferred with the temptations of Sathan You will not long live in the dark Prison of the world Christ will quickly be here and open the Prison-doors and deliver you into the glorious libertie of the Children of God 4. Rejoice Believers rejoice When Christ doth appear yee also shall appear Possibly some of you may remain alive until his appearance be sure all of you shall be made alive if you go down into your dust before you shall not be hid there for ever you shall not be buried there in eternal oblivion but the Lord Jesus will awaken you out of your long sleep of Death and raise you out of your beds of darkness He will send his Angels to gather you from the four Winds Think O think how joyful a day this day will be unto you when the Voice is proclaimed the Bridegroom is come Go yee forth to meet him when the Trumpet doth sound in the Air and you are called out of your graves by the Angels and gathered into the companie of all the Saints of God which lived in all generations from the beginning of the Creation and in a moment in the twinkle of an eye such of you as are alive shall finde your bodieâ— strangelie transformed and all that come forth of the ground made incorruptible and immortal and when you shall see the Lord Jesus Christ come down with such brightnesse and beautie and glorie and such royal Attendants and you are all caught up to meet with him in the Air when you shall finde your selves in the number of those blessed happy ones whom the Lord will send for and receive to himself when the greatest part of the World will be left behind crying to the Rock to cover them and the Mountains to fall upoâ— them to hide them from the wrath of this furioâ—â— Judge that is come to condemn them O how will your hearts then be filled and even
them and we may â—ationally imagine that they will salute them at their rising and welcome them out of their graves we read of the Angel Gabriel's salutation of Mary Luke 1. 28. Hail thou that arâ— highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst Women and the same Angels words to Daniel chap. 9. 23. Thou art greatly beloved Such salutations possibly the Angels may give to the Saints at their resurrection Arise you that are highly favoured of God come forth yee that are greatly beloved welcome welcome yee happy ones ye that are blessed amongst the children of men your Lord is come down and stayethâ— for you he hath sent us to call you and convey you into his presence bring you where he is that you may see and share in his glory O how will such words make their hearts to glow within them how joyfull will such a message be unto them O happy they that ever they were born or rather that ever they were new born O happy they that they should live that they should be raised to see such a day as this will be O what looks what speeches what joyes will they have when they are entertained by the Angels 3. The third Antecedent to the Righteous Iudgment will be their meeting one with another Matth. 24. 31. The Angels will be sent to gather the Elect together 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you â—rethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering together unto him the Saints will be all gathered together and we shall be gathered with them if we be found in that number there we shall meet with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the holy Kings and Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and holy Men who have lived in all Generations and all these in another hue than when they lived upon the Earth they will arise like so many shining Suns ouâ— of the Earth O how shall we be delighted with the â—ight of such a glorious train and company when we see the Image and picture of the Lord upon them drawn so to the life what sweet greetings shall we have and mutual congratulations of our old acquaintance in the flesh who were with us acquainted with the Lord and is this the end of our hearing and fasting and praying and self-denial and mortification and the poor services we have done for the Lord Is this the issue of our pains and labour O happy we that ever we repented and believed and closed with Jesus Christ O happy we that laid up our Treasure and waited for our glory and happiness till this time 4. The fourth Antecedent is that the righteous shall be caught up together in the aire all the righteous shall be caught up they that are raised from the dead and they that remain alive upon the Earth on that day 1 Thess. 4. 16 17. The dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire we read of the two witnesses which were slain after three dayes and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon theâ—r feet and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them come up hither and they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud c. Rev. 11. 11 12. In the morning of the resurrection the spirit of life from God will enter into the bodies of all the Saints and they will stand up and possibly they may hear a voice from Christ in the aire Come up hither and then they will be caught up and ascend into the aire to meet with their Lord O what unexpressible pleasure and delight will they finde when they Feel themselves begin to move upwards when they are leaving the Earth and wicked men and so many glorious persons of them together ascending to meet their most glorious Lord 5. The fifth antecedent to the judgment is their meeting with the Lord in the aire 1 Thess. 4. 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the aire We have spoken of the meeting of the soul and the body of the meeting of the Saints with the Angels of the meeting of the Saints with the Saints all which meetings will be very delightful but the meeting of the Saints with the Lord himself will be beyond all O how sweet will the sound of Christ's coming be unto them before they see him When they hear the long expected shouâ— and the sound of the last Trump This this will be musick indeed in their eares Then then they will lift up their heads with joy and do but think how transporting the first glance of their eye will be upon the Lord Jesus Christ when they see him yet afar off cloathed with such brightness and beauty never did their eye behold such an object before they admired to see the Saints and to see themselves so transformed but how will they admire to see the Lord in such glory if so be that some of his Disciples did gaze after him with wonder when he was taken from them and ascended into Heaven Acts 1. 11. With what wonder will all his Disciples most of which never saw him in the flesh none of which saw him in such glory then gaze upon him when he shall come down from Heaven Yee Men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven Say the Angels this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into Heaven if you look and wonder now at his going how will you look and wonder at his coming which will be as surely but far more gloriously But when they are come neerer unto Christ and have a fuller view of him O vvhat thoughts What affections What joyes vvill there then fill their souls O what workings what beatings of heart what transports and ravishment of spirit will they have O how would they be overwhelmed with this sight and utterly unable to bear it if they were not strengthened beyond their present capacity And is this the Saviour and Redeemer of the world O glorious Son of righteousness Did this most excellent Person who thus appears in the brightness of his Fathers glory and is now come down from his glorious habitation with such a glorious train of Angels once vouchsafe to dwell with men and vaile his glory in the flesh Did this eternal Son of God stoop so low as to take upon him our nature yea to take upon him the forme of a Servant Did he live in such meanness and obscurity and indure such hardship contradiction reproach and injury when he was upon the earth O infinite condescention Did this Lord of life and glory in the dayes of his flesh so weep and pray and cry sweat and bleed and die though with such pain anguish and disgrace yet with such willingness and