in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known in wrath remember mercy God came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran his glory covered the Heavens that is God came forth to work the Exaltation of his Son and what course doth he take in order to it vers 5. Before him went the Pestilence and burning Coals went forth at his feet The Pestilence is here called a fore-runner of Christs Exaltation he sends it before him to make room and way for himself though we possibly and our capacities are too shallow to conceive how it should be brought about It is possible if God let us stand upon the Earth some few years we may be much more enlightened in this matter and may see that God was this day eminently working to that end And that is what I would say to that Head That Slaughter and slaughtering-Judgements work for and shall end in the making Christ glorious Thirdly What is that glory that shall be put on Christ in the issue and end of these things I answer in a few particulars 1. The Essential Glory of Christ in the day of his Glory shall be more abundantly seen and discovered then now it is and shall take more upon the hearts of all Persons Christ is as glorious in his Essential Glory as can be for he is infinitely glorious and more then infinite cannot be imagined but this Glory may be discover'd and manifested beyond what it is The Sun is always a glorious Body but you know the light of it is hid many times Clouds stand between and we cannot see it at some times as we can at others Christ is exceedingly glorious but little of his Glory hath been hitherto manifested to the Children of Men more Eyes shall see it and more Hearts be taken with it then at this day Something of Christs Glory is seen already by the Saints who have a spiritual Eye they see that that takes their Hearts and makes them cry out as the Spouse sometimes doth He is altogether lovely Some of the Saints see that in Christ which is more to them then all that is in this World they take more comfort and content in it more of joy and satisfaction to their Spirits When Christ came in the Flesh it is said John 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us and we saw his Glory the Glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth That Glory that we do for the present behold in Christ and with which our hearts are taken it is rather for the most part that fulness of Grace that is in Christ for the good and benefit of Believers with that we are usually more taken then with his Essential Personal Perfections But the whole of Jesus Christs Glory shall yet shine forth so as it hath not done at any time therefore Psal 102.16 When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appear in his Glory He is glorious now but he shall appear in his Glory hereafter beyond what he hath done at any time to this day suitable unto which is that Word Isa 33.17 Thine Eyes shall see the King in his Beauty they shall behold the Land that is very far off The best of Saints upon Earth if they see something in Christ that makes them in love with him in the day of his Glory there shall be abundantly more discovered that shall make them in love with him possibly more then ever they thought they should be for ever That is one part of that Glory shall come to this Branch of the Lord. 2. Christ shall in the end of this slaughter be made glorious in his Priestly Office as he is a Saviour he shall be made more glorious then ever It is the honour of Christ that he is a Saviour Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour But it hath been greatly to the disparagement of Christ and his dishonour in this his Office that he hath been so lightly esteemed of among the Children of Men that so few have taken hold of him for Life and Salvation Those that have believed on Christ have been a small number compared with the rest of the world and of these few they have been chiefly the poor low and little ones of the World persons of little esteem and account therefore Christ saith Mat. 11.5 The Poor have the Gospel preached unto them he saith it is preached to them because it is received by them the poor inconsiderable ones of the World have generally hitherto been the persons that have received Christ It is true some of the Great Ones of the World have courted Christ and professed to own him but not one of many have given up themselves unto Christ as a Saviour But now this shall be the Glory upon the head of Christ that Souls shall abundantly flock in unto him Before Christ makes an end of his work in the World he will so break the Hearts of Men that they shall flow in unto him in great abundance Hag. 2.7 And I will shake all Nations and the Desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with Glory saith the Lord of Hosts Christ by his Sword Pestilence and Famine is shaking the Nations that is his way and when he hath done shaking the Nations the Desire of all Nations shall come It is Christ is here intended and he is called the Desire of all Nations because the Nations of the World shall generally come unto him and imbrace him such shall be the confluence and flowing in to Christ This is intimated in that known place Isa 60.8 Who are these that fly as a Cloud and as the Doves unto their Windows It is spoken about the access of Souls unto Christ and mark the Saints that shall be alive at that day they cry with wonder and amazement Who are these that like Doves come to their Windows Doves you know fly in great flocks where they are plentiful and the meaning of this is multitudes shall subject themselves to Christ in truth and give up themselves to be saved by him Christ now doth sprinkle many Nations according to that Isa 52. here and there a few Souls in divers parts and places of the world but at length things shall be so ordered that even a Nation shall be born in a day and abundance of poor Hearts shall give up themselves unto the Lord Jesus This you have Numb 24.7 He shall pour the water out of his Buckets and his seed shall be in many waters and his King shall be higher then Agag And this is another part of the Glory that is to come unto Jesus Christ 3. Slaughter shall terminate in the Glory of Christ in this respect He shall be glorious in his Kingly Power he shall be owned as the Head and Lord and Law-giver the one onely Law-giver so shall he be owned Isa 33.22 For the Lord is our Judge the Lord
also it cannot be otherwise Secondly Christs Glory must needs be for the good of his People in that all the Glory he is intrusted with as Mediator it is in their names for their sakes and for their uses he is Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1.22 I may therefore say unto Saints as they in Cant. 3.11 Go forth O ye Daughters of Jerusalem and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother crowned him in the day of his Espousals in the day of the gladness of his Heart Go forth and look upon by the Eye of Faith that Glory that shall be upon the Head of Christ and look upon it with comfort you may account it a joyous spectacle for it is that that shall work out your Mercy if your hearts be upright with God A little further to shew you what benefit shall come unto Saints by Christs being glorious 1. When Christ is glorious glorious Liberty shall come unto the Saints We are now a company of inthralled Creatures not only unto our own lusts but the lusts of men you have a notable expression Rom. 8.21 The Creature it self also shall be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God The Creatures of the Earth are now in bondage unto the lusts of Men our Rayment is in bondage to our Pride our Meat to Gluttony our Drink to Drunkenness and other things the like the Creatures are held in slavery unto the lusts of Men but there is a time when they shall have glorious Liberty when men shall not be able at their pleasure to inthrall and oppress them Psal 72.12 14. the Psalmist speaking of Christ in his glory saith of him That he shall deliver the Needy when he crieth the Poor also and him that hath no helper he shall redeem their Souls from death and violenee and precious shall their Blood be in his sight It is worth your observing that the whole design of Christ is but to do his People good to save them and therefore at the 4th verse of that Psalm it is said He shall save the Children of the needy and particularly this service he shall do them he shall give them glorious Liberty 2. This shall be their Glory their Reproach shall be wiped away the People of God have been a reproached People greatly reproached but their reproach shall be rolled away When Israel came to Canaan they were circumcised and the place where they were circumcised was called Gilgal and the reason given Josh 5.9 For there he rolled away the reproach of Egypt the lot of the Saints is to be reproached in Egypt but there shall be a time and day and a Place also which he will name Gilgal a time and place when and where he will roll away the reproach of his People For the present sometimes God gives his People unto reproach as you have it Isa 43.28 Therefore I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches but there is also a time when reproaches shall be taken away Then will the Lord be jealous for his Land and pity his People yea the Lord will answer and say unto his People Behold I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyl and ye shall be satisfied therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen 3. The Glory of the Saints shall be this They shall be raised up to much height and dignity that the greatest of all the ungodly ones of the Earth shall bow before them for which take one place insted of many Isa 60.14 The Sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soals of thy feet and they shall call thee The City of the Lord the Zion of the Holy One of Israel It were great arrogancy for any of the Saints to hope for such a thing as this had not God spoken it and it is as great infidelity not to believe it since the mouth of the Lord hath uttered it 4. They shall have this Glory More eminent and uninterupted Communion with God and Christ then ever yet they had and this is the thing that every good Soul longs for long for it they do that is certain and when they are hinder'd in that enjoyment it is their great burthen when their Tabernacles are taken down their communion's broken this is that that makes them go mourning but the Lord will give his People more eminent and glorious communion with himself and his Son then they have yet partaken of It is said Isa 60.7 with respect to a time yet to come The Flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee the Rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee they shall come up with acceptance on mine Altar and I will glorifie the House of my Glory Observe it the Glory of the Temple of old was the presence of God in the Temple he was said to fill the House with his Glory the communion that the Saints had with God was the Temple-Glory God meeting with them in his Appointments and Administrations and now he promiseth here I will glorifie the House of my Glory I will fill my Churches and Saints with more Glory then yet they have seen the meaning is they shall have more of my presence with them and more abundant communion and fellowship with me then heretofore Isa 66.11 it is said They shall be delighted with the abundance of her Glory that ye may suck and be satisfied with the Brests of her Consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her Glory 5. And in the last place this shall be the Glory of Saints Even their glorious Union one with another and this shall be their mercy in the day of Christ in Zeph. 3.8 9. the Lord saith Therefore wait ye upon me until the day that I rise up unto the prey for my determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation even all my fierce anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie for then will I turn to the People a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent It is the great cry among the People of God O that we could come to Unity to love as Brethren all cry for want of it though few endeavour after it as they ought to do but when we have done our utmost endeavours which is our Duty yet it will not rise up to any great height till Christ come in his Glory Wait upon ME until I arise to the prey to do gloriously in the World and then I will work thus and thus that you may come to serve me with One Consent They mistake greatly that think to force People to a Union to make them all of one mind it is the work of
expects thy great work should be to give him the glory of that mercy to improve it to his praise Satan would possibly divert thee and cause thee to make it thy work to perplex thy self about thy state by raising infinite questions in thee whether thou art yet of the Israel of God or no. Be not easily thus deluded but if thou hast ought that may be really a solid ground of hope to thee do not easily cast away thy confidence but having got a little hold keep it that thou art spared in mercy and shalt find mercy when Christ shall appear glorious VSE V. THe Fifth Use will be to them that are the Israel of God to comfort their hearts and this Doctrine that is under consideration is exceeding comfortable unto such I may truly say to them I do bring them glad tidings of great Joy What! shall all the sad and dismal Slaughters made in the World work to such a blessed issue as the Exaltation of Christ And shall all his glory be for your good What can you wish for more When David had been speaking of the Kingdom of Christ and his Glory under the Person of Solomon in Psal 72. it is said The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended The sum of all that a gracious heart can desire is That Christ may be glorified when that is done he knows not what more to pray for If you are Israel and your hearts are as they should be the great thing about which your Spirits are working is that Christ may be set upon his Throne and that his Name may be exalted If this work go forward and be in hand the work that is in hand and goes on is that which lies most upon your hearts and in which your Souls have greatest occasion to rejoyce Let the consideration of this comfort you 1. Against whatever Breaches may have been made upon you by this day of slaughter it will be strange if some of you have not lost Friends and Relations Remember all these Breaches made upon you onely serve to repair the interest of Christ and work for his glory and if your hearts be right what would you not part with so the work of God may be furthered If your hearts be right you will say Let all go and come what will if Christ may but be a Gainer I will be willing all things should be lost 2. Let it comfort you under those perplexities and troubles and dread that it may be hath been upon your Spirits in such a day Doubtless Times of slaughter are Times of great sorrow and grief of heart but who would not sustain a little grief for the working out of greater comfort The first sight that you shall have of Christ in his glory will wipe away these Tears and will suppress all those Fears it will make them be as if they had never been 3. Let it comfort you if you should see worse things then ever yet you have seen I do believe many Souls do this day think that nothing can be more terrible then what they have already seen and heard but if they should be mistaken and you should see things more dreadful be comforted Christs work is going forward his glory and Israel's mercy is upon the wheel It is not unusual in Scripture and experience that one Judgement goes not alone but it is followed by others closely at the heels Jer. 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their cry and when they offer Burnt-Offering an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the Sword and by the Famine and by the Pestilence Not one single Judgement onely but others were to go in hand along with it Christ says Luk. 21.25 26. That a little before the day of his glory there shall be distress of Nations and mens hearts shall fail them for fear for looking after those things that are coming on the Earth It is a very probable conjecture that as we have seen the distress of a City we may see the distress of Nations and troubles may over-spread the face of the whole Earth Yet if these things should be remember Christs Counsel to his own Disciples vers 28. Look up and lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Remember the words of the wise man Prov. 3.25 26. Be not afraid with sudden fear neither with the desolation of the Wicked when it comes for the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken 4. Be comforted though you cannot understand the method of God and are not able to conceive how these Dispensations of God should work for Christs glory and the good of his People We are apt to be perplexed because we cann't see into the depths of the proceedings of God and understand the reason of them all But remember he that hath the management of these things knows his own ends and can tell how to accomplish his own designs and he will be sure to do his own work when all men have done what they can Things may and shall work for the good of the Saints though we cannot understand them Remember the case of Jacob Gen. 42.36 Says Jacob Me ye have bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and will you take away Benjamin also All these things are against me To his apprehension all this made against him when in truth and when the issue was seen it made so for him as nothing could do more And thus it is in the great amazing Dispensations of God with which we are startled though we understand not the mystery and reason of Gods proceedings yet they make for the good of his People and will work out his glory though we cry these things are against us often-times 5. And lastly It will comfort you if you are Israel though you should not see all accomplished immediately though the Branch of the Lord should not forthwith become glorious Remember Faith and Patience they serve to help us to wait and stay Gods time and leisure God always keeps his Ends upon his Heart and in his Eye and never acts in any inconsistency with them This is abundantly certain that he will accomplish every good thing for his People Wait therefore on the Lord and keep his Way and he will exalt you in due time Though he answers your desires and expectations for the present by terrible things yet it is in Righteousness and it is for the bringing about whatever mercy he promised to his People VSE VI. THe last Use would be for a Word of Counsel You that are escaped this day and are the Israel of God what mercy is this that you share in how amazing and distinguishing are the dispensations of God to you-ward How should the sence of it over-come your Souls To be preserved and preserved in mercy to great and glorious ends what can you desire more had you been put to make your own terms with God Believe it