the Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament This is the lot and portion of the Righteous which because we cannot conceive or understand I shall pass over in silence hoping that our spirits will be raised to admire what cannot be expressed in word or conceived in the heart pressing forward by a Christian conversation to the sweet fruition of that glory which will be the sure portion of those that have part in the first Resurrection while the wicked that continue to do wickedly have nothing to expect or hope for in that day but that wherewith the Spirit closeth this Chapter And there were lightnings and voyces and thundrings and an Earthquake and great hail This will be the terrible portion of those of whom the Apostle Jude speaketh Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14.15 The mouths of wicked men will then be stopped and put to silence though now they bark and belch forth blasphemies at pleasure against the Saints yet will it then be proved to their faces that all their wicked actions and hard speeches are done and spoken against him whose doctrine they now reject whose yoak they will not now bend to whose personal Reign they contemn as a Fable but then will they Lâ—ke 19. â—â— nill they this voyce shal reach them But those mine Enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me And this will be such a slaughter where they will be ever killing and never dead but shall live in death to all eternity As this is ground of wo and alas to the wicked sort Mat. 25.10 against whom the door is now shut never to be opened any more never more tenders of Grace never more offers of Mercy in the Gospel but howling and wailing without ceasing world without end So is it true matter of unspeakable joy to all Saints no ground of Joy like this it comes with a Rather Luke 10.20 But rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven This is the poor souls fulness of joy 1 Joh. 1.3 4. to know his interest in that society that shall continue rejoycing to all eternity I give a word of advice in the wordsof the Spirit to every man that hath this hope in him 1 Joh. 3.3 to purifie himself even as he is pure for since our expectation is such what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 12 looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherefore gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 Luk 2.36 And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he wil return from the wedding Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he comes shall find watching Isa 30.18 yea blessed are all they that waite for him It s no matter deer Christians how much pains we take in the way nor what our trouble and misery is for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 When Christ our King shall say Well done thou good and faithful Servant Mat. 25.21 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. How then should our hearts be transported with holy Ravishments in expectation of this his Appearance singing in Consort with the Heavens Earth Sea Fields and Trees in the sweet Singers heavenly Rapture For he cometh Psa 96. for he cometh to judge the Earth he shall judge the world with Righteousness and the people with his Truth Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS
favour for a Benefice their last refuge was the craft of the Gibeonites Joshu 9 4. if this wile prevail not they see they are undone Vers 6. and therefore say they we are not of the Prelatical Faction Vers 8. Vers 10. we are the Parliaments friends that rejoyce in the ruine of their Enemies by these and the like expressions many a crafty Gibeonite got both protection and provision But after a little time they are discovered to have only denyed their names Vers 16. but retain the natures of those seven thousand by bowing the knee to Christ whilst they lay Principles of persecution against his poor members They were saith the Text affrighted my fear is that their profession of Reformation was more out of fear then love as their persecuting Principles declare and their practises verifie but the time is at hand that our Princes who were beguiled by them Vers 19. to confer favors upon them shall cut them short of their expected flourishing Estate Yea their own designs shall reduce them to a low and mean condition For why should they be fostered in the Parliaments bosome who refuse subscription and subjection and upon the rising of every Scottish mist may again attempt their ruine and destruction But through the Lords goodness moving this renowned Parliament the Decree is gone forth for the extirpation of the vilest sort of these as the infection rape and poyson of poor silly sheep in Wales and the Northen Counties and is expected all over England Upon these grounds among others I am induced to believe that this present unparalleld Parliament is the great Voyce which hath to their everlasting honour calld up these blessed Witnesses the Scriptures to a heavenly freedom and blessed flourishing estate in the Heaven of the Saints Society And long may these Worthies sit together flourishing with true Felicity and all blessings of peace and piety and let their indefatigable labors and dear expressions of unexampled love and faithfulness to the poor members of Jesus Christ with their opposition and final ejection of those seven thousand names of men of the Train of Antichrist be recorded in golden Characters among their successful and wonderful Achievements with that excellent piece of Justice in cutting of the late Tyrant with some chief Incendiaries which shall eternize their names and make them famous by the acclamations of all true-hearted Saints while they have power to pray or spirits to prayse which also raised and with joy transported the spirit of their faithful professed servant to Pen these plain Verses upon the death of the late bloudy perjured persecuting Tyrant King The King of Kings must Reign Let every land With horror and amazement trembling stand While mighty Potentates come tumbling down As sturdy Traytors to th'Emperial Crown Great Charls of England marches in the Van Flush'd in the bloud of thousands here 's the man Whose adamantine heart could not relent Though dreadful judgements to astonishment Came thundring down but could not pierce his eare 2 Chro. 28.22 Lisle Lucas This is that King did never spend a tear Yes once he wept for two arch Traytors death Whom Martial Justice had depriv'd of breath But for the thousands murdered by his hands For all the Widdows Orphans made i' th lands For all out-ragious spoyles and cruelties Inhumane rapes and dreadful villanies Fair Towns and Cities that his rage did burn For these fell crimes who ever saw him mourn O man of mischief let me now deplore At thy sad Corps weltring in crimson gore Not for thy bloud but for those thousands slain Which die thy conscience in a scarlet grain Not that the hand of Justice does thee wrong But that their pitty let thee live so long Mans doom is past thy wife children now Shake hands with thousands in this land of wo. But what an answer will thy Conscience make At that Tribunal where the Judge will take No bribes nor Lawyers Fees where thou must stand Equal with poorest Peasants in the Land And hear this dreadful voyce Traytor appear Hold up thy bloudy hand thy judgement hear Thou hast conspir'd against the soveraignty Of heavens great King his crown and dignity Not satisfied in three fair Realms to reign O're bodies and estates Thou didst ordain Laws to compel the conscience thus presuming T'uncrown Jehovah his high power assuming Thou hast polluted and prophan'd his day By Laws commanding men to disobey And those dear Saints who publisht not these laws Thou didst give up to the devouring jaws Of High-commission wolves who tear rend Imprison whip crop them to exile send Thou didst agree with Romes black complices To persecute these Saints t' a wilderness Thou gav'st the reverend stile and honour too Which from a child is to the Parent due To Romes great vicar-General nay compli'd To yield thy power to that King of pride How didst thou court embrace admire adore That queen of strumpets Romes proud scarlet whore Why didst thou wed a Romish brat could she Have gain'd thy love if thou hadst loved me There is a monstrons sin cald Patricide Art Thou not guilty At York can it be denide That dreadful Curse which Thou didst wish might fall On thee and thy Posterity withall May fill th' amazed world with awful fear And force them yield Johovah hath an ear Thou didst in words abjure Romes traytrous crew Yet who like those that very instant knew Thy choycest secrets Thou didst freely yield Power to those Irish monsters who have kild With such unheard of barbrous horrid rage Thousands of Loyal Subjects that no age Did ever parallel yet these are made Fit Instruments for thy accursed ayd Ten times ten thousand have thy furious hands Cut off in these thy three distressed lands Whereof some thousand Saints dear in mine eyes Whose precious bloud aloud for vengeance cryes Thus are thy monstrous foul detected facts Besides vast volumes of concealed acts Before th' Impartial Just Jehovah come What canst thou plead why an eternal doom Pass not upon thee Lord I leave the rest As secrets treasur'd in thy royal breast Be wise ye Kings that yet alive remain The day 's at hand the Lord alone must reign You all must bow or break for he alone Must be exalted on his glorious Throne The prayers of Saints shall make such thundring work Shall raise such dreadful storms ' gainst Pope and Turk And all their dark Confederats which shall Level their pride For Babylon must fall And you Grand Sir with your Seraglio too The Turk Must trudge to Tophet 't is prepar'd for you Thus springs the gladsom day of Saints release And so ensues an everlasting Peace The fourteenth Verse The second wo is past and behold the third wo cometh quickly And if I may deliver my judgement I think the second wo is past indeed in the slaughter of those seven thousand names of men with the death of the Tyrant and many other grand Enemies
in the three Nations who had so long oppressed the Reformed Churches And I do also conceive that the third wo yet to come doth properly belong to and shall miserably torment the Antichristian Train and all prophane wicked men and false Professors who will slight and reject and contemn the voyces of the feventh Angel For the seventh Viall Rev. 16.17 which will produce this wo is to be poured forth into the common Ayr in which all the cursed brood do breath So that those who will not receive embrace the voyces of the seventh Trumpet proclaiming the Lord Christs personal Reign now at hand must shortly quickly whether they will or no receive the voice of the seventh Vial and that wil be a dreadful direful voyce saying It is Done That is all power of the Enemy is destroyed Babylon is ruined and all the Prophesies and Promises made to Saints are accomplished in this glorious coming of our King and the utter ruine of the king of pride And that which makes this voyce woful and dreadful to purpose is Math. 25.10 Rev. 18.19 with Rev. 11.19 that it is attended with that soul-confounding voyce that will reach the hearts of those fools that now slight the Gospel of Grace viz. The door is shut Mercies door is shut never to be opened any more nothing remains now but Thunders Lightnings terrible Earthquakes such as never was fierceness of wrath blackness of darkness Jude 13. wo and alas for evermore Wherefore my humble advise and earnest request is that you will diligently hearken to receive embrace and walk up to the ensuing voyce of the seventh Trumpet Ah dear friends The door will be shut THus have I endeavoured to hold forth the Light I have received by those soft sweet soul refreshing gales of the blessed Spirit concerning this deep Mystery of the Prophesy Slaughter Resurrection and Ascention of the two Witnesses With the rise raign and ruine of Antichrist which will be fully compleated in the days of the Voyce of the seventh Angel Whereof I shall now speak as of the second part of the eleventh Chapter of the Revelation The Fifteenth Verse And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in heaven saying The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever TO give an account of my judgement concerning the Seals Trumpets and Vials it appears cleer to my understanding that the opening of each Seal is the Discovery of some Gospel-light one glorious Truth after another as the day approacheth and no sooner is one Gospel-Truth made known by the secret breathings of the Spirit according to his word but presently the Trumpet sounds that is The Ministers of the Gospel publish it abroad as the Prophet speaketh The Lord gave the word Psal 68.11 great was the company of those that published it Thus did Luther upon the discovery of new Light sound such an alarum as made the Throne of the Beast to stagger like a drunken man I will not say the first Seal was opened to Luther nor that he was the first Trumpet but this I can speak that a further degree of Gospel-glory new light though the word be odious amongst some was discovered to Calvin and after him to others who as they received it presently became the Lords Trumpets to declare it to the world upon whose refusal of it the Vials are successively poured forth so that first a Seal is opened secondly a Trumpet sounds declaring the truth discovered within that opened Roll thirdly a Vial of wrath is poured forth upon those that hear and reject it but because the Seals Trumpets Vials are not contained in this Chapter I shall forbear to enlarge upon them at this time and prosecute the work of this present Chapter If we look back to the former Discourse of the Witnesses and consider the seven thousand names of men there discovered to be slain or supprest by this present Parliament and observe the sweet consent of things attending it will be no harsh or improbable Conclusion that the seventh and last Trumpet is at this instant sounding yea sounding at present such an Alarum that there are scarce any other voyces heard among watchful Saints but the Lords at hand the Bridegroom is coming The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord c. Which as it is the earnest expectation of all waking Virgins and the unspeakable support of many a poor dejected disconsolate drooping soul to think in the midst of afflictions temptations and fiery tryals My Lord is a coming to put an end to all my sorrows to wipe all tears from mine eyes to tread Satan under his feet to set me free from sin and sorrow and so I shall by way of improvement of my small Talent least it be found hid in a Napkin for the augumentation of the joy of every waiting longing breathing panting spirit and for the information of such poor souls belonging to Christ who are yet in the Dark as touching this great Mystery hold forth what the Lord hath entrusted in this earthen vessel of the unconceivable Glory of this his universal soveraignty In which glorious discovery I shall shew 1. That he will come to reign upon earth 2. How and in what manner he will come 3. Where he will establish his Throne at his coming 4. When he wil take his great power reign 5. The signes of his coming 6. His ends in thus coming 7. Events succeeding 8. The uses we are to make of all And if these and each of these shall be fully cleared by the pure Word of the Lord without wresting or any other subtile invention of mans brain then let all the sons and daughters of Sion with joy embrace them as intelligence and sweet tokens of love from their King and Husband whose bowels yearn whose high endeared affections are upon the wing unsatisfied with his present glory in Heaven till the fulness of time come that he may be inebriated and overcome with the soul ravishing embraces of his purchased Spouse on Earth But if any circumstance belonging to this glorious Subject shall be found wanting of cleer testimony from the fountain of truth Let it be detested abhorred and rejected as the froath and vanity of a deceived and deluded creature but to the particulars First That the Lord Jesus Christ who did ascend into Heaven shall come again to reign upon the Earth is clear from divers Scriptures Jer. 23.6.33.16 Isai 4.2 first that of Jeremiah Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a Righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgement and Justice in the Earth and he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Secondly That in Rev. 5.10 where the glorified Saints in Heaven do exceedingly exult and rejoyce not only that they are redeemed from amongst men and possest of heavenly
will plead with them there Thither cause thy mighty ones to come O Lord. 11.12 Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehosaphat for there will I sit to judge all the Heathen round about the Heathens must come up to the Valley the Saints must come down And it will be worth our labours to consider the rest of this third Chapter of Joel which will give much light to this truth for after the Lords Throne is thus erected in the Valley of Jehosaphat it is said that the Lord will dwell in Zion and that there shall be abundance of rich blessings there 17 18. And that for ever as long as the Moon endureth But because the Valley of Jehosaphat Psal 72. Dan 7.14 as it now is hath not capacity or extent to receive the New Jerusalem therefore the Prophet Zachary tells us that it shall be wonderfully enlarged by the dividing of the Mount of Olives Zech. 14.4 And the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West and there shall be a very great Valley For the valley of the Mountains shall reach unto Azal Vers 5 All the land shall be turned as a Plain from Geba to Rimmon 10. and it shal be inhabited in her place 11. And men shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited and how should it be otherwise when the Prince of Peace shal reign in Glory in the midst of it This then is the place of which the Lord speaketh Isa 65 10. Rev. 24.4 I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying here Lord let my soul flourish with thee and thy Saints according to thy Word Rev. 3.21 Fourthly the fourth thing to be discovered is when this Lord of Glory and King of Saints will come to reign in this his Kingdom on Earth and first it is plain that it was not in the dayes of his humiliation for as he is answering his Disciples question about his coming to Judgement Mat. 24.25.6 he tells them the time of it is then when all the Virgins seeing the signs and hearing the voyce or cry Go forth to meet him coming as a Bridegroom to marry his Church that is the whole body of his Saints which will be then compleated and brought together into one place Mat. 24.28 Joh 10.16 where in the view of all the world the Marriage will be gloriously solemnized And secondly it is as plain that this Glorious Reign cannot be after the day of Judgement for then there would be a change in Heaven 1 Cor. 15.24 since it is clear that after Christs Reign and subduing of all his enemies he must give up the Kingdome to his Father Then thirdly it cannot be the spirituall Reign of Christ in that way as most dream which they conceive is now in being and that Christ will never come to Reign any other way save onely in greater purity then he doth now by his Spirit Which fond imaginations as they have not the least substantial Pillar from the word of Truth to support them so the contrary is plain and evident from the clear current of that pure fountain namely that the Lord Jesus Christ will come then and not till then to take to himself his great Power and Reign when all the signs that are to precede his coming are visibly discovered which I am sure are not yet as shall be shewed in its place Again the Spirit was given in a most glorious eminent manner far exceeding present dispensations when the Apostles Generally and Saint John more particularly waited for Act. 3.20 21. Rom. 8.23 1 Thes 4.17 Rev. 1 7. and yet expected this Glorious Personal Reign of Christ as abundance of unerring Witnesses do testifie but in special the present Scripture that I am now opening namely Rev. 11.15 which plainly declareth that the Personal * See Rev. 1.7 Reign of Christ is to begin when the seventh Trumpet is sounding at that time and not before when the seventh Trumpet begins to sound Rev. 10.7 shall this great Mystery be accomplished And certain I am that the Spirituall Kingdome of Christ was gloriously eminent before any of the seven Angels began to sound and therefore it cannot be only the spiritual Kingdom of Christ that is here spoken of and so the time is not yet in being of this Reign of Christ As therefore we must not cast off our expectation of nor our diligent constant watching waiting for this Personal Glorious manifestation on the one hand saying with that evil servant My Lord delayeth his coming and so split our selves upon the desperate rock of carnal security Neither must we run upon that other shelf of a vain ungrounded conceit that he is already come Mat. 24.23 24 25 26 27. whereof our Lord himself hath given us fair warning the Lord give us hearts to receive and embrace it It is not then the spiritual Reign which we now enjoy but the personal glorious truly spiritual Reign which we shall shortly enjoy that is the Life and Crown and Hope and Comfort of many precious enlightned Saints who have found such sweet support succour and solace from this sure Pillar of divine truth that all the delusions of Sathan in this luxurious giddy Age hath not been able to shake The ignorance of this soul-ravishing Gospel-truth is that horrible Gulph that hath swallowed up thousands who finding in the words of truth such glorious things spoken of this day of the Lord but through ignorance in this Mystery and the cunning slights of Sathan who transforms himself to an Angel of Light are deluded in their sence and all their intellectuals beleeving that Christ is come already and doth Reign already whereupon they conclude to throw away all Ordinances for say they Christ hath commanded us to use them till his coming and no longer Do this till I come hold fast till I come Occupy till I come Nay so far hath this restless spirit of error prevailed with some as to beleeve that Christ hath already Reigned that he hath already given up the Kingdom to his Father and that now God is all in all that they live in God that they are God c. And now this Prince of darkness hath plaid his part to purpose now he hath possessed them not only with a distast of Ordinances and slighting of them but now away go Scriptures Christ and all they are a lye an Allegory he a shadow a Type c. and now Sathan hath his will having deceived them so far as to deny the Lord that bought them for he well knows that there is no other name given under heaven to bring salvation but this Christ whom they thus reject and now he is cock sure of them and now they are ripe
this Kingdom thus establisht by and for Jehovah our Righteousness shall be also given to the people of the Saints of the most High Dan. 7.27 whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him And thus the Saints being gathered into one fold even into that holy City the new Jerusalem seated in the Valley of Jehosaphat and there marryed to Christ our everlasting Husband do also like the marryed condition here obtain the glorious name of our Royal Husband for even then Jor. 33.16 She shall be called the Lord our Righteousness 14. The Nations bending Virgins voyces raise THis posture they shall most gladly observe Zech. 14 3. Vers 12. Vers 16. who are escaped the slaughter of the great day and the plagues thereof For every one that is left of all the Nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from yeer to yeer to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles What manner of worship the Lord will have from these Nations I know not Ps 72.11 but this I know that all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him some kinde of homage and worship they must perform without the holy City for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth Rev. â—â— â—7 Math. 25.4 But they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life These are those blessed Virgins who have their Lamps of a holy conversation gloriously burning and a ready supply of grace in their souls Cant. 5.2 Math. 25. Vers 6. Vers 10. whereof their pure vessels are full though these sometimes slumber and sleep yet their hearts are awake every noyse they hear they expect to be the midnight cry for the Kings coming and are instantly up and ready and so in they go with this glorious Bridegroom into the marriage-Chamber where they meet with such a Feast such soul-ravishing delights that are not possible to be conceived much less possible to be uttered And now their hearts and voyces being tuned to one celestial Key Rev. 14.3 they begin that new Song which will never wax old but with renewed sweetness in all heavenly delights joy shall arise from praise and praise from joy to all Eternity Rous Psal And no man could learn that Song but they that were redeemed from the earth Mark that Redeemed from the earth these are they which were not defiled with women for they are Virgins 15. All Duties ending with Joy Love and Praise THe same blessed hand that first instituted Gospel Ordinances Isai 60.1 will now himself put an end to them Cant. 4.6 for now the Sun of Righteousness is risen and dispels all clouds dissipates all mists now breaks the gladsome Day and shadows fly away Presumptiously Arrogant is that hand that shall dare to anticipate this work in casting off those Ordinances which is the proper and peculiar work of him that appointed them Luke 19.13 1 Cor. 11.26 Rev. 2.25 and commanded the use of them till his coming then and not till then all these shall see their period except those that shall abide to all Eternity for some Gospel Ordinances must never cease but shall then be establisht in their perfection when all other Ordinances shall cease Joy cannot cease Ps 16.11 In thy Presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Christ hath promised that when he sees his Saints again their hearts shal rejoyce then Joy shal be compleat Joh. 16 22 and this Joy shall no man take away from the Saints So for that Gospel-Ordinance of Love that shall be permanent Charity never faileth all other Ordinances shall cease but Love shall then shine in its true lustre 1 Cor. 13.8.10 Isai 61.3.62.7.9 and full perfection and then for Praise it shall then be the garment of the Saints Jerusalem shall be made a praise in the earth the Saints shall eat and praise the Lord and drink in the Courts of his holiness Jer. 33.11 The voyce of Joy and the voyce of Gladness the voyce of the Bridegroom and the voyce of the Bride the voyce of them that shall say Praise the Lord of Hosts for the Lord is good for his mercy indureth for ever and of them that shall bring the Sacrifice of Praise into the House of the Lord. Ioh. 1.3.2 Isai 52.8 Ah what a little glympse of that excellent glory are these narrow-mouth bottles now capable to apprehend but then we shall see him as he is and that is the fulness of glory And thus I suppose these 15. wounderful Changes are clearly proved by the Word of God as Concomitants or close Attendants to the glorious appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ as also for the silencing of idle Notionists that the Lord cannot take to himself his great Power and Raign till all these Changes appear then and not before will the voyces be heard and the words of the Text be accomplished The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever The sixth thing proposed is the ends of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to reign upon the Earth amongst many glorious ends that we may believe I shall briefly mention a few 1. The end that the Lord Jesus proposeth to himself is to be gloriously exalted in his Royal Throne of highest Majesty even in that place where he was so shamefully and ignominiously abased abused and cruelly crucified He suffered over or neer the Valley of Jehosaphat and there as hath been proved he will exalt his Throne Zech. 12.10 and there they that pierced him shall behold him and be in bitterness of soul because of him 2. Ioel. 3. Ioh. 17.24 Ioh. 10.16 Isa 53.10.11 Another end is to gather all his Saints together into that place which shall be the great Sheepfold that there they may behold his transcendent Glory and that there he may see his seed and the travel of his soul and be satisfied 3. A third end is to take an account of his servants how they have imployed and improved his talents for this is that day of judgement 2 Pet. 3.8 Rev. 20.4 wherein the Lord Christ will reward his servants and enslave his enemies the extent whereof will be a thousand years the longest day that ever any man lived one Earth for within this day Adam Ezech. 34.17 c. Mat. 25. Methusalem yea all men have died and only Christ with his Saints shall live the whole day in this day he will judge between cattel and cattel admitting wise rejecting foolish Virgins For the accomplishment of these and such like ends Heb. 9.28 unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation The seventh thing to be considered is the events succeeding the second appearance of our Lord in this his day of