Cor. 5.19 1 Tim. 2.3 Tit. 1.3 Tit. 2.10 Tit. 3.4 1 Joh. 5.20 Who is the true God and eternal Life They that do not believe but deny Jesus Christ to be God do deny the LORD that bought them and bring upon themselves swift damnation 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. They undervalue his most precious Blood Heb. 10.29 compared with Acts 20.28 -- To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood And they in effect deny the Alsufficiency of Christ's Satisfaction for the sins of Mankind whose Nature he took namely the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is But he taketh hold of the Seed of Abraham 2. The Lord Jesus Christ is a gracious Saviour Eph. 2.5 By Grace ye are saved And vers 8. For by Grace are ye saved This Free Grace is the kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards sinful sinners Tit. 3 3-7 whom he justifies freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 2 Tim. 1.9 And saveth them with an everlasting Salvation And also sanctifies them by Faith in him Acts 26.18 where Faith is put synecdochically for all the Graces of Sanctification which our LORD Jesus Christs imparts unto and implants in the Souls of Justified Believers 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Joh. 1.16 And of his Fulness have all we received and grace for grace Eph. 4.7 To every one of us is given grace And James 4.6 He giveth more grace Such is the unsearchable and the exceeding Riches of his grace Eph. 2.7 Riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 that he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious c. Read Exod. 33.19 Rom. 9.15 3. The Lord Jesus Christ is an Alsufficient Saviour Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the utmost c. Christ hath made full satisfaction for the sins of all them whom the Father gave him to Redeem Isa 53.10 His Soul was made an Offering for Sin And he gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.5 6. There 's enough in Christ there 's all in Christ Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell And in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 He is a full Christ and hath an infinite Alsufficency in himself to supply all the wants of his Saints 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee c. Secondly What Salvation may sinners have by Jesus Christ I answer 1. Sinners may be saved from their sins by Jesus Christ Matth. 1.21 For HE shall save his People from their sins It is a very great mercy to be saved from our sins This Salvation is not by any other Act. 4.12 There are three things in sin from which Christ saveth sinners viz. First the dominion of sin It was David's prayer Psal 19.13 Psalm 119.133 Let not any iniquity have dominion over me and Christ's promise Rom 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace There is a Reigning power in sin Rom. 6.12 Let not sin therefore Reign in your mortal body c. Also Rom. 5.21 which Christ subdueth Mich. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and destroyeth Rom. 6.6 Secondly The captivating power of sin This the Apostle sadly experienced Rom. 7.23 24. I see another law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members But yet he blessed God for Jesus Christ vers 25. through whom he had deliverance Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Thirdly The guilt curse and condemnation of sin Jam. 2.10 And offend in one point is guilty of all Gal. 3.18 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Tit. 3.11 And sinneth being condemned in himself But there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 for Christ hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 and saved us from the Wrath of God Rom. 5.9 and 1 Thes 1.10 And giveth us eternal Life and Salvation Thirdly How are sinners saved by Jesus Christ In Answer to this Query two things in general must be considered 1. What Jesus Christ hath done for sinners 2. What he doth in them in order unto their everlasting Salvation First Jesus Christ hath made full satisfaction unto the Divine Justice of God for all the Transgressions of sinners Isa 53.5 6 8 9 11. He was wounded for our Transgressions vers 5. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin vers 10. He shall see the travel of his soul and be satisfied v. 11. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself to God Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree Now once in the End of the WORLD hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 And 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Secondly Jesus Christ hath purchased and obtained for sinners eternal Redemption and everlasting Salvation by his own precious Blood Heb. 9.12 By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Therefore eternal Life and Glory is called the purchased Possession Eph. 1.14 and an Inheritance reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1 3-5 Thirdly Jesus Christ hath instituted and ordained the Ministry of the Gospel Eph. 4.11 12 13. and all Gospel-Ordinances for the salvation of sinners to the Glory of God the Father And after he was crucified he rose from the Dead ascended into Heaven and is set down on the Right hand of God where he ever liveth to make Intercession for sinners that they may be saved Heb. 7.25 The LORD Jesus Christ having done all these things for the salvation of sinners he doth by his holy Spirit and Word work all his Works of Grace and Salvation in them Isa 26.12 LORD thou hast wrought all our works in us And Phil. 2.12 13. It is God that worketh in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure Therefore sinners are said to be God's workmanship Eph. 2.10 Created in Christ Jesus unto good works c. that thereby it may yet more plainly appear that they are his Workmanship The first Work that God doth ordinarily by his holy Spirit and Word upon a sinful sinner in the Ministry and Administration of the Gospel of his Grace is a work of Conviction John 8.9 Being convicted in their own conscience Tit. 1.9 To convince gainsayers Jam. 2.9 They are convinced of the Law as Transgressors And Joh. 16.8 9. He shall reprove the world of sin The World that is to say those sinners that are without Christ and without God in the World Eph. 2.12 Now God Reproves the sinner and sets his sins in order before
of Sinners Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other And hereby the poor lost sinful Sinner sees his need of Christ to justifie him and pardon all his sins also to sanctifie him and save him from his sins and the wrath of God due unto him for his sins and to save him with an everlasting salvation God having thorowly convinced and savingly inlightned the Sinner the third and next part of God's workmanship upon his Soul is the work of Conversion Sinners are often called upon to turn unto God and to turn from their sins Ezek. 14.6 18 30 32.33.11 that they may know it is their duty so to do and that finding by experience it is not in their power being faln in Adam they should pray to God to turn them from their sins unto himself by his Spirit and Grace Jer. 31.18 19. Turn thou me and I shall be turned c. Conversion is that part of God's workmanship upon a Sinner's Soul wherein God doth first change the whole Man from the sinful similitude of Adam into the Image of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into his Image c. I say in the work of true Conversion the whole Man is changed the heart is made a new heart Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes The Man is made a New-man Eph. 4.23 24. And that ye put on the New-man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness And his Life a New-Life Rom. 6.4 Even so we also should walk ill newness of Life Secondly God doth in the work of Conversion sanctifie the converted person wholly and throughout in Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly c. Upon or at the time of the Sinner's Conversion God imparts unto him and implants in him of every Grace that is in Christ a measure Joh. 1.14.16 And from his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Also Eph. 4.7 To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ which grace is called the incorruptible seed of the New-birth 1 Pet. 1.23 which seed abideth in sanctified Believers 1 Joh. 3.9 It is implanted and it is inherent grace which grows like the grain of Mustard-seed Matth. 13.31 32. unto which Spiritual Growth every sanctified Believer is exhorted 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in grace c. Thirdly God doth in the work of Conversion actually and really turn the converted person from darkness to light from the power of Satan and Sin unto God Act. 26.18 Before Conversion the Sinner was under the Vassalage of Satan who had dominion over him and ruled and worked in him Eph. 2.2 And he was then the servant of sin which had also dominion over him and reigned in him Rom. 5.21 And though the Sinner was convinced of his sins and troubled in his mind for his sins yea and saw the danger that his Soul was in by reason of his sins whereupon the Sinner resolved to forsake his sinful courses and to commit his sins no more yet until he was truly converted he had no power nor strength to overcome them nor could he pray and perform holy duties with delight and comfort but as a task and work that was hard and burdensom Isa 43.22 24 25. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob and thou hast been weary of me O Israel But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and I will not remember thy sins Now that the Sinner is converted he is by the Spirit and Grace of God called to Repent and to Turn from his sins to God with his whole heart Jer. 31.18 19 20. Surely after that I was turned I repented I was ashamed c. Thus we may see what work God doth upon sinful sinners in respect whereof they are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus Let us in the next place consider what Work God doth upon sanctified Believers in respect whereof they also are God's workmanship God having called and converted sinful Sinners unto himself by his holy Spirit and Word formed Christ in them and changed them into the Image of Christ given them his holy Spirit and imparted grace unto them and implanted it in them and having of his free Grace adopted and justified them through Faith in Christ Gal. 3.26 Gal. 2.16 God is pleased out of the exceeding Riches of his free Grace to go on with his workmanship gradually until he have made them compleat in Christ Col. 2.10 whom he hath created in Christ Jesus And in order thereunto there are divers other works of God which he doth by his holy Spirit and Word in and upon the Souls of those Converts in respect whereof they are his workmanship And the first is the work of Faith with Power 2 Thes 1.11 called the Faith of the Operation of God Col. 2.12 wherein God demonstrates what is the exceeding greatness of his Power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Eph. 1.19 20. And this God doth in raising Souls from the death of sin to the life of Righteousness by Jesus Christ Eph. 2.5 6. This Faith Jesus Christ is the Author of and will be the finisher of it Heb. 12.2 and therefore called the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 by which Faith the Soul in its Conversion is united unto Christ and kept through it by the Power of God unto salvation Compare Eph. 4.13 with 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. it 's called the precious Faith of God's Elect 3 Pet. 1.1 even the same Spirit of Faith that Abraham had and that all the Sons and Daughters of Ahraham have and do receive 2 Cor. 4.13 This Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 This Faith God worketh in us ordinarily by his holy Spirit and Word in the Ministry and administrations of the Gospel of his Grace Rom. 10.8 That is the Word of Faith which we preach And verse 17. So then Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God By which Faith we receive Jesus Christ our Lord John 1.12 Adhere and cleave to him with purpose of heart never to forsake him or deny him Act. 11.23 but to own him for our Head Lord and Lawgiver our King Priest and Prophet And trust and rest upon him alone and on him only for Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Isa 26.3 with Isa 50.10 And by this precious Faith Believers are justified Rom. 3.28 adopted Gal. 3.26 and sanctified Act. 26.18 through our Lord Jesus Christ But the converted Believer is not yet fully assured that Christ will save
him he is fully persuaded that there is not Salvation in any other and believing that Christ is able to save to the utmost all that come to God through him And being drawn to Christ by God the Father he doth by a lively Act of Faith go to him and adventure his Soul upon him resolving If I perish I will perish here This Faith is God's workmanship Eph. 28. By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Faith is not of our selves for when the poor lost Soul sees a necessity of believing and is willing to believe he experienceth that it is not in his own power to believe he cannot believe Faith is the gift of God and the Convert lies under doubting until God give him to believe Though to believe be our duty yet it is God's Grace Gift and Work 1 Thes 1.11 Called the Work of Faith with power and the Faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 As before Another part of God's Workmanship upon Converted Believers is Mortification of Sin Rom. 6.6 Our Old-man is Crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed this is also our duty Rom. 8.13 But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body to wit of sin ye shall live And it is the Effect of true Faith in Christ Acts 15.9 Having purified or purged their hearts by Faith The Spirit of God by Faith works out sin and corruption both out of the heart and out of the life gradually killing and crucifying our Old Man Gal. 5.24 that the body of sin might be destroyed That henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.6 nor fulfil the lusts of our flesh and of our carnal mind for to be carnally minded is death This part of God's Workmanship called Mortification is begun in Evangelical Repentance and godly sorrow for sin whereby a sanctified Believer is made to loath abhor and hate his sins 2 Cor. 7.9 10. and by the Grace of God to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts And to live soberly righteously and godly in this evil world Tit. 2.11 12. Now his heart being out of love with sin the Young Convert doth by the Assistance of the holy Spirit and Grace of God labour and endeavour the mortification of every corruption and the power of the indwelling Spirit in every sanctified Believer opposeth and subdueth the power of indwelling sin that remains in him after Regeneration Gal. 5.17 And the Spirit and Grace of God in him gets the Victory whereby Grace Reigns Rom. 5.20 21. And the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus makes him free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Free first from the Reigning power of sin Rom. 6.11 14. Sin hath not dominion over a sanctified Believer nor will Christ suffer sin to reign in him nor suffer him to obey it in the lusts thereof Secondly From the captivating power of sin which Paul so sadly complained of Rom. 7.23 24 25. and was freed from by the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.2 Thirdly From the Motions of sin in the flesh Rom. 7.5 6. So that no lust shall conceive and bring forth sin Jam. 1.14 15. And at last Christ will free sanctified Believers from the indwelling presence of sin Death will make a total and final separation between their sins and their souls for Eternity Another part of God's Workmanship upon converted Believers in order to their Salvation is sanctification of heart and life God hath chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 And Jesus Christ sanctifieth his People Heb. 2.11 As the End of our Faith is the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 so the way to Salvation is Sanctification and Holiness Isa 35.8 And without Holiness no Man shall see the LORD to his comfort and salvation Heb. 12.14 Sanctification consists in the Truth of Grace in the Growth of Grace and in the Perfection of Grace The Truth of Grace produceth the Spiritual Fruit of the Gospel Col. 1.5 6. The Word of the Truth of the Gospel bringeth forth fruit since the day ye heard it and knew the Grace of God in Truth The Growth of Grace hath a threefold gradation some sanctified Believers grow like little Children in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Those St. John calls little Children whose sins are forgiven 1 Joh. 2.12 13. And St. Paul calls them Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.13 For he is a Babe one that is weak in Faith Rom. 14.1 15.1 Though such have but a little grace yet it is true grace and doth grow Grace is of a growing nature like a grain of Mustard-seed Matth. 13.31 Other sanctified Believers grow like young men they are strong in Faith and overcome the wicked One 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Their Faith is great their Love is fervent and their Patience hath its perfect work that they may be entire lacking nothing 1 Thes 1.3 And some sanctified Believers are compared to Fathers that is to say gracious grave grown and experienced Christians 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Such were some of the Saints in the Church at Thessalonica 2 Thes 1.3 4. Your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you all to each other aboundeth The Perfection of Grace is the state of sanctified Believers in Heaven there are the spirits that is the souls of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Sanctified Believers ought to go on to perfection Heb. 6.1 And they that have received the Promises ought to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and filthiness of spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 2. And God hath ordained the Ministry of the Gospel for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12 13. Until we all come in the unity of Faith unto a perfect man And though the Apostle was not perfect as he confessed yet he pressed toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.12 14. So ought all the Saints to do until they be translated from Earth to Heaven and from Grace to Glory and shall be set down in the Father's house among the Spirits of just men made perfect Thus Jesus Christ who came into the WORLD to save sinners brings them to salvation The next particular in our general Position to be explained is that Jesus Christ came into this WORLD to build up his own House the Church of God As Moses was faithful in the House of God as a servant who did all things about the Tabernacle according to the Pattern shewed unto him by God in the Mount Exod. 25.40 Acts 7.44 Heb. 8.5 So Jesus Christ was faithful unto God that appointed him as a Son over his own House the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man Heb. 3.2 3 5 6.
Heb. 8.2 called The Church of the Living God 1 Tim. 3.15 The LORD Jesus Christ in order unto the building up his House the Church of God did ordain a Gospel-Ministry Eph. 4.11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers c. And set them in his Church 1 Cor. 12.28 And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. The Apostles as wise Master-builders did prepare fit Materials for to build the House of God and to that purpose they having received Commission and Command from the LORD Jesus Christ Mark 16.15 went out into the WORLD and Preached the Gospel beginning at Jerusalem And when they had made and baptized many Disciples they planted those Churches that we read of in the holy Scriptures which were built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone in whom all the building fitly framed together was builded together an Habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2 19-22 The Church at Jerusalem was the first of all those Gospel-Churches Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Which Church was at its first Constitution a particular Congregation of sanctified Believers baptized with Water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit Matth. 28.19 and separated from the Synagogues of the unbelieving Jews to worship God in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4.21 23 24. according to the sacred Institutions of Christ and his Apostles even the Ordinances of God delivered unto his Churches of Saints 1 Cor. 11.1 2. And although the number of the Disciples were multiplied from one hundred and twenty Act. 1.15 to three thousand Act. 2.41 yea to five thousand Act. 4 4. Act. 5.14 And Believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women So that the Apostles had their own distinct Companies Societies or Congregations in Jerusalem Act. 4.13 19 23. And Peter and John being let go they went to their own Company Yet they all being of one heart and of one soul were but one Church and are so denominated Act. 15.4 And when they were come to Jerusalem they were received of the Church c. Act. 15.22 The whole Church And so were all the particular Congregations in every City denominated and called viz. The Church of God at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 And so our Lord and Saviour denominated all the Churches of God in Asia by the particular Cities wherein they were first planted and assembled to worship God Rev. 2.1 8 12 18. Rev. 3.1 7 14. Read those verses I intreat the Reader to consider 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ in building up his own House the Church of God ordained and appointed a preceding Ministry to be workers together with him in building his House Heb. 3.4 1 Cor. 3.9 10 11. We are labourers together with God Ye are God's Building c. 2. That the Churches of God under the Gospel are not National but Political and Congregational 3. That a particular visible true Constituted Gospel Church of God doth consist of fit Matter and due Form Jesus Christ the Chief Corner Stone is a lively Stone and the Materials of the Church ought to be living Stones Mat. 3.16 1 Pet. 2.4 5. Sanctified Believers 1 Cor. 1.2 6. And Christ himself was Baptized with Water Act. 10.44 47 48. and with the holy Spirit every one in his Visible Churches of Saints ought to be Baptized with Water and with the holy Spirit (a) Joh. 5. v. 5. 2. Those sanctified Believers ought to he fitly framed together and orderly compacted joyned and built together an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.19 20 21 22. chap. 4.15 16. which is the Form of the House of God the Church of the Living God 1 Tim. 3. v. 15. God commanded his Prophet Ezekiel chap. 43. v. 10 11. saying Thou Son of Man shew the House to the House of Israel (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in conjugatione hiph Annunciavit exposuit narravit indicavit And let them measure the Pattern Shew them the Form of the House And write it in their sight A wise Master-builder will take care to prepare fit Materials in every respect answerable and suitable unto the House he is about to build and so ought the Ministers of Christ who are Co-workers with God in building his House which is his Church to take heed both what and how they build 1 Cor. 3 9-14 Every mans work shall be made manifest for the Day shall declare it And the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is c. Young Converts new-born-Babes in Christ may be added to the Church of God Act. 2.41 47. But they are not fit Materials to be laid next unto the Corner Stone of that Spiritual building I say again they are not fit for the Foundation-work of God's building nor are they fit for Pillars in the House of God Consider what St. Paul that wise Master-builder saith of such young Converts 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3. Heb. 5.12 13. Read the words These and such as these are not fit Matter for the Foundation nor for Pillars nor for Beams in the House of God at the first Beginning Planting and Building or Gathering of a Church of God But rather Fathers that is grave gracious holy wise and experienced Believers Also some young Men that is such Christians that are strong in Faith and have in some measure overcome the World the Devil and their own Corruptions who are full of the holy Spirit rich in Grace and zealous for the House of God and the Purity of his Worship I say a competent number of such Christians being sound in the Faith holy in their Life and fitly qualified with diversity of spiritual gifts knowledge and grace are in my Opinion most meet to be by their own mutual free consent and agreement joyned tegether to become a particular Church of Saints by the help of some wise Master-builders and faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3 9-11 The Gospel-Form of a particular Church of God consists as we said in the fitly framing compacting and joyning those sanctified Believers together into ONE Fellowship Society and Gospel Brotherhood in a solemn Day of Prayer with Fasting wherein some Able Minister of the Gospel having by Preaching the Word unto them shewed them their Respective Duties in a Church Relation the Elders and Chief Brethren of some particular Churches of Saints being present and assisting in the work of the Day if they may be obtained may in the Name and Authority of the LORD Jesus Christ by virtue of this Commission given to him constitute and make them a particular Visible Church of God they giving up themselves professedly first to the LORD and then one to another mutually and
a litlte while and HE that shall come will come and will not tarry Act. 1.11 This self same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven As Christ ascended into Heaven in his own Person so he shall lihewise descend from Heaven in his own Person Matth. 24.27 As the Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West so shall also the Coming of the SON of Man be so visible Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every Eye shall see him And 1 Thes 4.13 14 18. The LORD himself shall descend from Heaven c. To them that look for him he shall appear the Second Time without sin unto Salvation Now the principal things to be explained in this Branch or part of our general Position are three viz. 1. The Manner 2. The Time 3. The Ends of Christ's Coming First Touching the Manner of Christ's Second Personal Coming from Heaven it is testified Matth. 16.27 That the SON of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father The Glory of the Father is the highest and most heavenly Glory called the Excellent Glory 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18. When we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ For he received from God the Father honour and glory from the Excellent Glory which was but a glimpse of that Excellent Glory of the Father which Christ shall come in Attended with all his holy Angels and glorified Saints from Heaven and met in the Air by all the changed Saints then living on Earth Jude v. 14. Behold the LORD cometh with Ten Thousand of his Saints and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of Angels saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and honour and glory Rev. 5.11 12. and 2 Thes 1 7-10 When the LORD Jesus Christ shall be Revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels At the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints 1 Thes 3.16 1 Thes 4.17 18. Then we which are alive and remain unto the Coming of the Lord ver 5. shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Read Luk. 21.17 Mark 13.16 Matth. 24.30 Secondly Touching the Time of Christ's Second Personal Coming from Heaven Though of that Day and that Hour when Christ shall come knoweth no man no not the Angels of Heaven nor the Son of Man but the Father only Mark 13.26 32. Yet there are some signs of Christ's Second Coming recorded in the Scripture of Truth whereby we may know that it is near even at the door The Disciples of Christ asked him What shall be the sign of his Coming Matth. 24.3 to whom Christ gave this for a sign ver 37 38 39. But as the Daies of Noe were so shall also the Coming of the Son of Man be And Luk. 17.28 29 30. Likewise also as it was in the Daies of Lot even thus shall it be in the Day when the Son of Man is revealed It will be so with the Men of this World as it was with the Men of the Old World which God destroyed with Water Then the wicked ones of that Generation were very ungodly Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth c. And Christ told his Disciples Matth. 24.12 That Iniquity shall abound a little before his Second Coming vers 30. And it will be so with the Men and Women of these Cities as it was with those Citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah whose Cities were burned Another sign of Christ's Second Coming is a great Apostasie both in the Doctrine and Worship of the Gospel This sign of Christ's Second Coming the Apostle Paul foretold 2 Thes 2.1 2 3. Now we beseech you Brethren by the Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ Let not man deceive you for that DAY shall not come except there come a falling away first An Apostasie first from the Doctrine of the Gospel especially Faith and Love 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter daies some shall depart from the Faith c. And Christ saith Matth. 24.3 12. The Love of many shall wax cold before his Second Coming from Heaven vers 30. Some Teachers make the Law of the Ten Commandments a Doctrine of Faith in Christ affirming that those ten words are a Covenant of Grace Other Preachers make the Gospel of the Grace of God a Doctrine and Covenant of works teaching Justification by works and Salvation by works holding Free-will and falling away And many there are of whom the Apostle Peter prophesied 2 Pet. 2.1 2. False Teachers who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them c. And 2 Pet. 3.3 4. That there shall come in the last Daies Scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying Where is the Promise of his Coming c Insomuch that our Saviour said Luke 18.8 When the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faâ—th on Earth And many Professors will fall from their first Love as the Ephesians did Rev. 2.4 The Faith and Love of the Primitive Saints in the Churches of Christ continued and increased 2 Thes 1.1 2 3. Your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Love of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth But in these last Daies many depart from the Faith and many cool in their Spiritual Affections to Christ there are great decaies of Grace and many flourishing Professors experience great withering fading and decaying in their spiritual gifts and graces their backslidings are increased As the Apostasie in Doctrine so in Worship is a sign of the Last Daies and of the Second Coming of Christ The Apostle Paul foretold thereof 1 Thes 2.3 4. 2 Tim. 3.1 5. This know also that in the Last Daies Men shall be Lovers of their own selves c. more than Lovers of God having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof In those last Daies even a little before the Second Coming of Christ the Laodicean Churches will be lukewarm neither cold nor hot formal not fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rev. 3.15 16. And then the National Churches will be Papal Superstitious and Will-worshippers Col. 2.16 18-22 23. Which things have indeed a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship c. Then Mystery Babylon will say I sit a Queen c. Revel 18.7 8. Therefore shall her Plagues come in one day to wit the seven Vials of the last Plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God Rev. 15.1 7. And then our Lord Jesus Christ will come in power and great glory and shall utterly destroy Antichrist 2 Thes 2.8 Whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his Coming When those Virgin-Professors who have highly pretended to be upon their watch waiting for the Coming of the