and General of all the Hosts of Heaven They are Ministers to attend on him and his and Hosts to fight against his and his Churches enemies And well they may be called his Angels for he made them they were created by him Col. 1.16 17. and for him and by him they do subsist and have their Being upheld and continued to them else they would cease to be and return to nothing 2. God therefore called the Angels to worship his Son made Flesh come into the World in our Nature When he brought the first begotten into the World he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 It may be inquired whether they do not owe the Son of God adoration on the account of their being graciously supported and preserved in their Integrity The two Cherubims that figured the Angels were made out of the Mercy-Seat as well as stood upon it Exod. 25.18 19. There are Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 as well as Elect Men. Herein did the various and manifold Wisdom of God shine Ephes 3.10 in keeping Elect Angels standing and in raising up Elect Men when they are fallen 3. The Angels Ministred to Christ and probably brought him Food after the Devil had tempted him taking occasion from his hunger And an Angel came from Heaven and strengthned Christ in his Agony Luke 22.43 4. Jesus Christ is the Ladder that joins Earth and Heaven together and it is on this Ladder the Angels of God ascend and descend John 1.51 All Correspondence all Commerce and Communion between the upper and lower World is carried on by this Ladder The Angels descend to serve the Members of Christ and then ascend to give an Account of the faithful discharge of their Office and Trust 2. These Angels are called mighty Angels And it is a great and mighty Work they are to undertake and execute there is a multitude of Malefactors to be Arrested there are great and mighty Enemies to be Apprehended there is a great and mighty Harvest to be cut down to be reaped and separated from the Field of the Church There are Goats to be separated from the Sheep and bad Fish to be taken out from among the good The Angels shall come forth to honour Christ Heaven shall be emptied of Angels and Saints to wait on Christ The Angels when they come forth shall sever the Wicked from among the Just the Harvest is the end of the World the Wicked are the Tares and the Reapers are the Angels Matt. 13.38 39. Sinful Men and Women are as weak and feeble Tares they cannot stand against or before the Hook of these mighty Reapers they shall be easily cut they shall quickly fall before a sharp hook managed by such mighty Arms. The far greatest part of the World will be found Tares therefore there needs many mighty Reapers to cut down so vast a Harvest and skill will be requisite to discern and distinguish some of the Tares some close and refined Hipocrites from the good Corn. 2. They are to bind the Tares fast in bundles Matt. 13.30 that they shall none of them escape He that had not a Wedding Garment was to be bound hand and foot Matt. 22.13 His hands were to be bound that he should not fight or resist his feet were bound that he should not fly or run away 3. These Angels are as mighty Sergeants to present Malefactors to the Judge As for those mine enemies saith Christ which would not that I should reign over them bring them before me Luke 19.27 The Angels are to execute this Order and fulfil this Command They are to present Criminals at the Bar of the Judge 4. When Christ doth Sentence and Condemn wicked Men the Angels are ready to execute the Sentence They gather those that offend and commit iniquity they pluck out the had Fish and cast them into a Furnace of unquenchable fire Matt. 13 40 50. Christ saith of his enemies Let them be slain in my presence Luke 14.27 These condemned Malefactors may be said to be slain by the Angels when they cast them into the Furnace for then all this sweet pleasant and desireable Life and Being is consumed and gone those are no better than woful stinking Carkasses that must be Food to the Worm that never dies and fuel to the Fire that never goes out Is 66.24 5. The Angels are to gather the Elect It is said that Christ shall send forth his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and shall gather his Elect from the four Winds and from one end of Heaven to the other Observe 1. That the Elect are called Christ's Elect he chuses as well as the Father the Lamb hath his Book of Life Rev. 13.8 Those that the Father gives him the Names of those he writes down in his Book These Christ chuses to redeem reconcile and satisfie for With the Salvation of these he charges himself These he must bring to his Fold and they shall hear his voice John 10.16 These he must keep and lose none of them John 17.1.2 The Angels are to gather these as a Spouse to Christ her Husband Ps 45.14 15. with joy shall she be brought in Raiment of Needle-work to the King The Virgins her Companions shall be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace When Abraham imploy'd his Servant to fetch a Wife out of Padan Aram for Isaac his Son he said the Lord God of Heaven should send his Angel before his Servant and he should take thence a Wife for his Son Gen. 24.7 As an Angel was imploy'd to prosper the Work and Way of Abraham's Servant and to bring a Wife to Isaac so the Angels of God shall bring and present Christ's Wife to him they shall know who are the Elect find them out and distinguish them from others 2. They shall gather the Elect as Members to their Head as Loyal Subjects to their King 2 Thes 2.1 The Apostle Paul speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus as a most desirable thing and the gathering of the Elect to him as a most sweet and comfortable thing and the Angels shall do this Work to gather Saints to Christ USE We may learn from the ATtendance of Christ what Honour shall be put on Christ at his Appearing Heaven shall be emptied of the Angels and glorified Saints to follow Christ the Graves shall be emptied of the dead Bodies of the Saints to meet Christ 1 Thes 4.14 Those that sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him They shall be brought from death to life to be presented to Jesus Christ Christ shall come in his own Glory as he is the Son of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God Luke 9.26 And he shall come in the Fathers glory that is he shall come in that Glory the Father hath put on him as his Righteous Servant Phil. 2.10 11. God hath exalted Christ and given him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Christ every knee should bow and
Christ to tell him his Citizens the Jews would not admit him as their King to Reign over them and the Prophane and Atheistical World do ridicule mock and scorn at the Promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3.3 They that walk after their own Lusts and place their Happiness in satisfying of them would not have Christ come to interrupt their Life of Sensuality or to punish them for it They would never have Christ come and hope he will not appear and therefore with insulting Belief say Where is the Promise of his coming In the Prosecution of this Subject I shall insist on these three Things 1. I shall demonstrate that the Lord Jesus will be Revealed 2. What the Scripture asserts about his coming 3. When the Lord Jesus will be Revealed Tho' we cannot point out the particular Time yet there are some general Intimations given us in Scripture when he will come 1. That the Lord Jesus will come 1. God the Father will send him Acts 3.20 Peter saith That God would send Jesus who before was preached to them And Paul speaking of the appearing of Christ he affirms that in his Times he shall shew this Appearance who is the blessed and only Potentate The Father will exhibit Christ again to the World this will be the most wonderful glorious shew that ever was presented to Mankind He that did stand as a Criminal before the Tribunal of Pilate Matt. 27.11 he that did hang on a Cross of Ignominy shall now sit on a Throne of Glory Matt. 25.31 He will Arraign Men for all the Acts of Time and adjudge them to the Penalties and Rewards of Eternity All Nations shall be gathered before him shall receive their Sentence from him and be disposed of either to a Blessed or Miserable Eternity by him 2. Jesus Christ himself hath told us of his Return he compares himself to a Noble Man Travelling into a far Country to receive a Kingdom and return As the Spirits of Men do return to God to be judged Eccl. 12.7.3 so Christ will return again to judge the World 3. The Saints live in expectation of Christs return they wait for Jesus Christ from Heaven 1 Thes 1.10 They look for him from Heaven Phil. 3.20 They look for the blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.14 Tho' the most of Men live as if they had no Concern in Christ's Appearing as if it would be no Marriage-Day Feast-Day or Harvest-Day to them as if they did not think or expect to reap any Harvest of Blessedness or to receive any Reward of Happiness at Christ's coming yet it would be a great disappointment to the People of God if he should not return They look for him as a Bridegroom as a Saviour as a Redeemer and he will appear a second time unto Salvation to those that look for him Heb. 9.28 4. The Angels have testified to this Truth that Jesus Christ should come from Heaven as the Apostles saw him go to Heaven Acts 1.11 And the Angels cannot be false Witnesses and Deceivers 5. Jesus Christ hath work to do at his second coming He hath a Harvest to reap Matt. 13.30 A Floor to Purge Matt. 3.12 A Wife to Marry Rev. 7.25 Servants to reckon with Matt. 19.21 30. The Diligent and Faithful he will commend and call to enter into his own joy and the Idle and Slothful he will adjudge to be cast into outer Darkness The great Shepherd will gather his Flock to him and lead them to sweet and delicious Pastures in the Heavenly Paradise 2. Let us observe what the Scripture asserts concerning his coming 1. Jesus Christ testifies that he comes quickly Rev. 22.20 Behold I come quickly Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 It is but a little time to the day of Christ's Appearing compared with the time that is run out since the beginning of the World it will be quickly considering how near our end is and that Death is at hand Death is the end of the World to us we pass into a fixed unchangeable Eternal Estate as those do who live to the end of the World Time is folded up to us and the Door of Eternity is opened to us Christ's coming to call us out of the World and to Summon us to his Judgment Seat may quickly be it may be within a few Years yea within a few Months yea within a few Days That which is future will come and be present and our Souls should be affected now as if we saw the Judge appearing the Throne set the Books opened and our selves Presented before the Judgment-Seat of Christ 2. This Revelation of Jesus Christ will be sudden surprizing and very amazing to the greatest part of the World as the Old World was drowned in Sensual Pleasures Earthly Business Carnal Security They were poysoned with and hardened in unbelief they did not look for the Flood they knew not till it came and took them all away Matt. 24.39 They did not believe God's threatning or regard Noah's preaching and warnings or consider what the building of the Ark did mean they would not know things by Believing but only by Seeing and Feeling They did not know till the Rain did fall the Fountains of the great Deep were broken up and the Waters did rise to swallow them up so shall the coming of the Son of Man be Rev. 16.15 The World will not believe or prepare for it till they see Christ coming in the Clouds he will as to most come as a Thief in the Night that is not thought of or looked for Rev. 3.3 The World is as loose as careless as secure as if they had heard nothing of Christ's coming as if they had not been informed of his appearing or been exhorted to look and wait for it and been warned to prepare for it the evil Servant faith no more but my Lord delayeth his coming Matt. 24.48 Tho' yet he acts and carries it as if he would never come at all Christ's Appearing will come as a Snare on them that dwell on the Earth Luke 21.35 Tho' they have often been taught and told that Jesus Christ will come yet they will be as stupid and senseless and foolish as the Birds and Beasts they will take no warning but will fall into the Snare as a Bird doth and be utterly ruined and destroyed by Christ's second coming Tho' Christ doth bring Grace and Glory to others yet he will totally take away all Good all that is sweet and comfortable from impenitent Sinners Men are wofully degenerate that they will not know things by Faith or the Testimony of the Word of God but only by Sense and so will not discern dreadful Evils till they fall upon them 3. Jesus Christ will be Revealed in great Glory and sit upon the Throne of his Glory Matt. 25.31 He will also cause his Redeemed to appear in glory Col. 3.4 Our Saviour
highest act of Royalty to sentence all Men to their eternal state It is said he shall judge the quick and dead at his Appearing and Kingdom Now is his Kingdom most highly magnified and exalted when the quick and dead must be Judged by him 2. This appearing of Christ will be most comfortable to his People he will come to bestow Crowns to give Rewards to divide eternal Portions and Inheritances to them he comes with the Keys of Hell and Death in his Hand He hath the Key of Hell to shut it that the Souls of his People may not enter in else the mouth of the bottomless Pit and of the roaring Lion would gape for them and swallow them up And Christ hath the Key of Death to open the Graves that the Bodies of Saints may come forth May not Christians well love the appearing of Christ who hath delivered them from the wrath to come and as a Captain of Salvation will lead them to glory Do you long for Christ's coming as that which will be a Harvest-day a Marriage-day and a day of full Redemption Or are you averse from Christ's coming Do you not loath and dread the thoughts of it Is not Christ's coming full sore against your Will There is a vast difference between these two expressions the breaking up the House and the opening of the door to Jesus Christ Luke 12.36 The House of a carnal unbelieving Man is broken through Christ breaks in upon him irresistibly unavoidably a force is put upon Sinners If they could Fetter Christ's feet obstruct his way clog and stop his Chariot-wheels Christ should never come or be Revealed but Saints that hang their hopes and put all their happiness in Christ's Appearing do readily open the door and joyfully will come and entertain Christ Do you look for his coming as a beloved Bridegroom as a desired Guest Or do you not mind or desire Christ's coming but will be as much surprized by it and astonished at it as at the coming of a Thief that was not thought of at all 4. Do you prepare and make ready for Christ's coming Is all your Week day of life nothing but a preparation for the eternal Sabbath Are your Loines girded that you may do the Work of your heavenly Calling Are your Lamps burning that you may do your Work skilfully and diligently Persevere in it continually It is said of the good Woman that her Candle goeth not out by night Prov. 31.18 Do your Candles continue burning through this dark night of Time Others have put out their light and given themselves up to sloth and sleep It is a great thing to watch and keep our Garments on and about us Rev. 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments Christ may suddenly come and surprize Sinners that they may not have time to put on Spiritual Garments to put on Christ Rom. 13.14 and the new man Ephes 4.24 We are too apt to put off our Coat Cant. 5.3 to lay aside a gracious spiritual holy and heavenly frame and to give way to sloth sleep and carnal security This Spiritual Garment is soon put off but it is hardly recovered I have put off my Coat and how shall I put it on It is highly commendable to have our Lamps burning when the Candles of others are put out and it is a Night of gross and thick darkness with them It is to the Honour of Christ the Bridegroom to be expected waited for and to be lighted to his Fathers House with bright and burning Lamps with Graces active and in a most vigorous and lively Exercise Is this Night-Light of Time as a Passoever Night to you Are your Loins girded Are your Shoes on your Feet The Feet of the Church are said to be beautiful with Shoes she was fit to Journy to Travel Are you waiting for God's Call out of the Egypt of this World Are you fitted and ready to Travel hence into the Heavenly Canaan Christ saith Come with me my Spouse with me from Lebanon Are you willing and ready to follow Jesus Christ Are you like Servants that look for the return of their Lord from the Wedding Feast to have you a way as Guests to his Table in his heavenly Kingdom Luke 22.29 30. There is much in these words And be you like such as look for the return of your Lord Luke 12.36 The watchfulness diligence the constant labour activity and zeal of some Christians doth evidence to themselves and demonstrate to others that they look for the coming of Christ That they prepare make ready set all things in order for their receiving and entertaining of the Lord Jesus Their great care and endeavour is that they may not be found sleeping and undressed that they may not walk naked and their shame be seen for ever Prov. 16.15 It will be the greatest reproach to have had a long time to adorn the Soul allowed to Men and yet to neglect and trifle it away and their Souls to be found dead without the life of God and to be found naked without the Image and Righteousness of God Do you trim your Lamps dress your Souls and finish the Work which God hath given you to do and that Christ hath appointed you that you may open to Christ immediately without put offs or delays or excuses as those that are not surprized or unready as those that would stay here no longer that would have Time end and Eternity begin As those that would have shadows fly away and the everlasting day to dawn These are great words that Christ will knock for a full entrance into us and a total possession of us and we must open immediately as those that are ready to let Christ in and to go away presently with him But are you not rather minding earthly things scattering your ways and affections to unlawful Beloyeds Do not your thoughts creep on the ground and your Hearts dwell below Would you not stay in a Natural Body Would you not continue in and be contented with a Stewardship Would you not dwell on Earth Do you not eagerly drive the Chariot of your Trade Do you not indulge your Carnal Affections and give the Reins to your Sensual Appetites So that there is no evidence that you look for Christ's Appearing for you are not like those that wait for the return of Christ from Heaven 3. With what Attendance Jesus Christ will come from Heaven What Retinue will accompany him He will be Revealed with his mighty Angels How much doth the first and second coming of Christ differ He came first attended with weak Fishermen but now he is surrounded and compassed with mighty Angels to wait on him Two things are here observable 1. That the Angels are called Christ's Angels 2. That they are Stiled mighty Angels 1. The Angels are said to be the Angels of the Lord Jesus This is an high Honour to Christ that all the Angels of Heaven are his Angels He is Captain of God's Militia
They that should have used violence to press into God's Kingdom but now Christ will use force to thrust them out of his Kingdom They wish now to see the excellency and glory of the Kingdom of God that they would even with violence force into it but they shall be violently thrust out of it they shall never tast of Christ's Supper They would not come into Christ's Righteousness and this was their great sin and they shall not come into Christ's Righteousness and this will be their grievous punishment They shall not enter into God's rest Heb. 3.18 They shall not partake of Christ's joy or glory They would not open their Hearts to Christ and Christ will not open his Heaven to them They would not know Christ's voice when he knocked and called saying Open to me And Christ will not hear their voice when they cry Lord open to us They would not give entertainment and rest to Christ in their Souls and Christ will not give them entertainment and rest in his Kingdom 3. This will cause wailing when Sinners see what they must suffer and endure they that in their whole time did drink iniquity like water must during God's eternity drink the wrath of the Almighty Job 21.20 They must be drunk with the Cup of God's fury feel the edge of his glittering Sword and the weight of his punishing hand His face will be unveiled to frown and scorch and his arm be made bare to smite and wound Christ will come to express his most fierce resentments of Sinners slighting the Grace offered to 'em and despising the mercy pressed on them Children of Disobedience shall be broken with Christ's Iron rod and Vessels of wrath shall be filled up to the brim with the fury of God This Mourning will be dreadful because there is no comfort to be administred no peace to be spoken to these Mourners There will be no banishing of their fears removing of their burdens no sweetning of their cup or healing of their wounds for ever God will set his face against them and will never hide or turn away his angry countenance from them Those that have been secure stupid hard-hearted even till now shall then begin to mourn but the first fruits of their sorrow will be the first fruits of their woe and prove the earnest and presages of their eternal misery They begin to sorrow on the utmost confines and bounds of Time and must continue sorrowing to an endless and unbounded Eternity Godly sorrow for sin may somewhat avail to remove the Transgressor's burden but Worldly sorrow under the feeling of present anguish or the fear of further future approaching misery will not advantage Sinners to roul away their guilt to prevent or diminish their punishment their mourning is a part of the punishment threatned Prov. 5.11 12. and thou mourn at last and say How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof Therefore this punishment shall never cease shall never be taken off Saints have but days of mourning and these shall have an end Is 60.20 but Sinners shall have an eternal mourning which shall have no end The day of Christ's Revelation will be a time of joy to his Loyal Spouse to his Living Members to his Faithful and Sincere Servants when he appeareth they shall rejoyce with exceeding great joy 1 Pet. 4.13 But this appearing will cause eternal sorrow to Rebels and Enemies when their sins shall be remembred and revenged 3. When will the Lord Jesus be Revealed Tho' the end of the Old World and the punctual time of its destruction was foretold that after a hundred and twenty Years the Flood should come yet the exact day or time of the end of the second World none knows no not the Angels of God Matt. 24.36 yet the Scripture gives us some general hints and intimations when Christ will come 1. When he hath received a Kingdom Luke 19.12 He was to travel into a far Country to receive a Kingdom and to return Jesus Christ hath not yet fully received his Kingdom all the Elect are not yet born they are not all gathered and converted they have not all yet visited the Son Psal 2.12 performed their homage and yielded obedience to him It is a Work for a long time for Christ to ride forth prosperously conquer a Kingdom and subject Rebels to himself and then to reign prosperously over them Jer. 23.5 more to refine sanctify and fit them for himself All Christs Servants must have time to occupy and trade with his Pounds and Talents before he will come call them to an account and reckon with them Matt. 25.16 19. Christ must wound the hearts of his Enemies and cause them as foiled to fall under him and as worshippers to fall before him Christ must also shew his glorious power for some time in ruling in the midst of his enemies Ps 110.2 2. That notwithstanding all their rage they cannot hinder Christ's Kingdom to rise or cause it to fall but Christ will go on more Levening the World with his Doctrine more subduing the Nations by his Word till this stone did fill the whole Earth and the Name of this Shepherd was great to the ends of the Earth 2. Jesus Christ will come when all his Members are compleat and he hath the fulness of his Body Ephes 1.23 When his Spouse hath made her self ready Rev. 19.7 The marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready When she is cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and adorned with Clothing of wrought Gold and Raiment of Needle-work 3. Jesus Christ will come when he hath prepared a place to lead and bring his people to John 14.3 If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am you may be But when may Christ be said to have prepared a place for all his Members Surely when Christ hath sprinkled the Throne and the Heavenly Sanctuary with his Blood when he hath pleaded his Sufferings and Death for each of them that they may be let into the glorious Presence and Kingdom of God then he may be said to have prepared a place for them 4. When Christ's Corn and Harvest is fully ripe then he will come to reap Mark 4.28 29. When the earth bringeth forth the blade then the ear then the full Corn in the ear but when the fruit is brought forth immediately he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come Christ will not delay or lose time when the Harvest is ripe when the Members are grown up to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 2. Jesus Christ will be Revealed from Heaven 1. To justifie the History and Doctrine of the Gospel that he was received up into Heaven and sat on the right hand of God Mark 16.19 That he entred into Heaven Angels Principalities and Powers being made subject to him 1 Pet. 3.22 that
he was received up into glory 2. To answer the hopes and expectation of his People they wait for a Saviour from Heaven Psal 3.20 and look for God's Son Jesus from Heaven 1 Thes 1.10 3. Christ will be Revealed from Heaven to shew the Spiritual Nature of his Kingdom that it is a heavenly Kingdom That he hath had his Throne in Heaven and from thence his Kingdom hath ruled over all He hath observed all the rage and actings of his enemies and all the love and obedience of his friends He hath inspected all the concerns of his Members and transacted all the affairs of his Kingdom This hath been honorable and glorious to Christ that he hath had a rest Is 1.10 in Heaven and yet neglected none of his work in repressing the rage of his enemies and in reviving the fainting spirits of his friends and steering all the affairs of his Church to a safe and happy Port. He hath supplied his poor and supported his weak Members 4. Jesus Christ will be Revealed from Heaven for the greater confusion and terror of his Enemies How will this affright and amaze them that he who they thought slept under the clods of the Earth should appear riding on the clouds of Heaven Rev. 1.7 that he who the Jews thought was suffering in Hell for deluding and deceiving the World should come to Judge the World and to Condemn Men to Hell for not believing on him Mark 6.16 Joseph was thought by his Brethren to be lost or dead but how were they confounded and troubled when they found him alive Gen. 45.3 heard him speaking to them saw him under Pharaoh Ruling over all the Land of Egypt So how will it dismay and overwhelm the unbelieving World when Christ that was thought to remain dead shall be presented to their eyes as alive When he that was ill treated by Men in the form of a Servant shall appear in the glory of a Lord to judge both the Quick and the Dead and shall be manifested as having all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him and can justifie and crown those that have believed on him and condemn and punish those that have rebelled against him who neither have believed his Doctrine or obeyed his Commands USE of Examination Examine your selves under what Notion Christ will be Revealed and come to you at last Whether he will appear as your Friend or as your Enemy To your joy or sorrow As a loving Bridegroom to receive you to himself John 14.3 Or as an incensed Judge to Sentence and Cast you from himself saying Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Matt. 25.41 Will Christ come to give you any thing Will he bestow a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.18 A Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 Will he call you to inherit an everlasting Kingdom Matt. 25.34 Or will Christ come upon you as a Thief in the Night to impoverish spoil deprive you of all the good things you now possess and enjoy Will not your Cisterns then be broken your Candles and Lamps be put out Will not your whole Paradise of sensual and sinful delights be lighted and blasted Will not Creatures be withdrawn from you and God himself also depart The floor and the Wine-press shall not feed you and God himself will leave and forsake you Hos 9.2 12. Will you not at once be turned out of your Stewardship and also be cut off from all hope of the heavenly Inheritance Will not Christ's coming be your utter undoing Will you not sustain a damage and loss never to be repaired For your wooing and buying time will be over the Spiritual Market will be at an end Will it not be sad when others are rich Heirs for you to be poor Bankrupts emptied and stript of all valuable and desirable good for ever Inquire therefore seriously and diligently how it stands with you in relation to Christ's coming Is Jesus Christ Revealed in you and to you and is his new Nature formed in you It is not Flesh and Blood but our Father that is in heaven that must reveal Christ to us Matt. 16.17 he that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to the Son Hath the spirit ever glorified Christ in your eyes Is he most precious to you If Christ be not Revealed to you while you are on Earth he cannot be Revealed from Heaven to your joy and comfort Have you an understanding to know the worth excellency and preciousness of Christ so that you give your selves to him and are in him If Christ do dwell in your hearts below you may be assured that you shall dwell in his House above Are you related to Christ Are you really his Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh They that are Christs shall be made alive at his coming 1 Cor. 15.23 Is the Match made up between Christ and you by a mutual Spiritual kiss Doth Christ kiss you expressing his servent love towards you and speaking powerfully and effectually to you the Doctrine of Grace the Word of Reconciliation The Gospel of Salvation is your own Interest in Christ's precious Promises sealed and delivered to you 2. Do you kiss Christ the Son of God Ps 2.12 Cant. 8.1 When Ishould find thee without I would kiss thee And Abraham Isaac and Jacob are said to salute kiss or embrace the Promises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where the mouth of Faith doth meet with the mouth of Christ speaking the Word of Life and the promises of Spiritual Benefits is perswaded of them doth embrace them then the Soul kisses Christ There is also a kiss of Homage as Samuel kissed Saul acknowledging him as the Lord 's Anointed When we receive the Law from Christ's mouth and profess our subjection to his Scepter and obedience to his Laws then we kiss Christ 3. Are you willing that Christ should come Do you desire long for and love Christ's appearing The Church saith Make haste my beloved Cant. 8.14 When Christ said I come quickly she adds her Amen Even so come Lord Jesus Rev. 22.20 Christians are said not only to look for but to hasten the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by their wishings longings earnest desires Do you fervently love the appearing of Christ as that which will be exceeding honorable to him comfortable and beneficial to you Do you love Christ's appearing as that which will be exceeding glorious to him For by his voice he shall quicken raise call forth all that are in their Graves John 5.28 That Christ knows all that ever lived can distinguish their dust from the dust of one another and from the dust of the Earth That he knows all their thoughts words and actions remembers them and will call them to an account for them 1 Pet. 4.5 Then Christ will sit on the Throne of his glory and all Nations shall be gathered before him to be judged by by him This is the perfection of Christ's Kingdom and his