Prayers and Incense then he went out of the holy of holies and laid aside his Garments again but our great high Priest is ascended into the holy of holies never to put off his princely-priestly garments nor does he only once a year sprinkle the mercy-seat with his sacrifice but every day he lives for ever to intercede Oh what comfort is this to a poor dejected Soul if he once undertakes thy cause and get thee into his prayers he will never leave thee out night nor day he intercedeth eyer till he shall accomplish and finish thy Salvation the smoak of his incense ascends for ever without intermission 6. The high-Priests then interceded not for sins of greater instances if a man sinned ignorantly there was indeed a Sacrifice and Intercession for him but if a man sinned presumptuously Numb 15.30 he was to be cut off from among his people no Sacrifice no Intercession by the high Priest then but we have such an high Priest as makes Intercession for all sins every sin though it boyl up to blasphemy so it be not against the holy Ghost shall by the vertue of Christ's intercession be forgiven In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David Zach. 13.1 and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness i.e. for sins of all sorts Verily I say unto you all sins shall be forgiven unto the Sons of Men Mark 3.28 i.e. Scarlet sins or crimson sins sins of the deepest dye shall by Christs Intercession be done away the voice of his blood speaks better things than the Blood of Abel it intercedes for the abolition of bloody sins 7. The high Priests then interceded not without all these materials viz. A Temple an Altar a Sacrifice of a young Bullock for a sin-offering Levit. 16.3 and a Ram for a burnt offering a Censer full of burning coals of fire taken off the Altar a putting the incense upon the fire that the cloud of the incense might cover the mercy-seat a sprinkling the mercy-seat with the blood of the Bullock and of the Goat with their finger seven times such materials they had and such actions they did which were all distinct as from themselves but Jesus Christ in his Intercessions now needs none of these materials but rather he himself and his own merits are instead of all As 1. He is the Temple either in regard of the Deity the gold of the Temple being sanctified by the Temple or in regard of his humane body destroy this Temple saith Christ and I will build it again in three dayes it was destroyed and God found it an acceptable Sacrifice and smelt in it a sweet savor as in a Temple 2. He is the Altar according to his Deity for as the Altar sanctifies the gift so doth the God-head sanctifie the man-hood The Altar must needs be of a greater dignity than the oblation and therefore this Altar betokens the Divinity of Jesus Christ 3. He is the Sacrifice most properly according to the Man-hood for although by communication of properties the blood of the Sacrifice is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 yet properly the human Soul and flesh of Christ was the Holocaust or whole burnt-offering roasted in the fire of his Fathers wrath 4. His merits are the cloud of Incense for so the Angel Christ is said to have a golden Censer and much Incense Rev. 8.3 4. that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne and the smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand the merits of Christ are so mingled with the prayers of his Saints that they perfume their Prayers and so they find acceptance with God his Father We see now the difference betwixt Christs Intercessions and the Intercessions of the high Priests of Old SECT VII What the Properties of this Intercession of Christ are 7. WHat are the properties of this Intercession of Jesus Christ I answer 1. It is heavenly and glorious and that appears in these particulars 1. Christ doth not fall upon his knees before his Father as in the days of his humiliation for that is not agreeable to that glory he hath received he only presents his pleasure to his Father that he may thereto put his Seal and Consent 2. Christ doth not pray out of private charity as the Saints pray one for another in this life but out of publick Office of mediation there is one God 1 Tim. 2.5 and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus 3. Christ prayes not out of humility which is the proposing of requests for things unmerited but out of authority which is the desiring of a thing so as withall he hath a right of bestowing it as well as desiring it 4. Christ prays not merely as an advocate but as a propitiation too Christ's Spirit is an advocate but only Christ is advocate and propitiation Christs Spirit is our advocate on earth but only Christ in his Person applyeth his merits in heaven and furthers the cause of our salvation with his Father in heaven In every of these respects we may see Christs intercessions is heavenly and glorious 2. It is ever effectual and prevailing as he hath a power to intercede for us so he hath a power to confer that upon us for which he intercedes John 14 16. John 16.7 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter If I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you If Christ prayed on earth he was ever heard but if Christ prayed in heaven we may be sure the Father ever heareth and answereth there when Christ as man prayed for himself he was heard in that which he feareth but now Christ as Mediator praying for us he is ever heard in the very particular which he desireth James 4.3 We sinful men many a time ask and receive not because we ask amiss that we may consume it upon our Lusts but Jesus Christ never asks amiss nor to wrong ends and therefore God the Father who called him to this Office of being as it were the great Master of Requests in behalf of his Church John 11.41 42. he promiseth to hear him in all his requests Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know thou hearest me alwayes saith Christ 3. It is of all other the transactions of Christ till the very end of the World the most perfective and consummate indeed so perfective that without it all the other parts of Christ's Mediatorship would have been to little purpose As the Sacrifices under the Law had not been of such force and efficacy had not the high Priest entred into the holy place to appear there and to present the blood there unto the Lord so all that ever Christ did or
and this the Apostle speaks out yet more plainly by him we have an access unto the Father Ephes 2.18.3.12 and in him we have boldness and access with confidence I shall a little enlarge on both these Texts recorded for our instruction in the Law and Gospel in the Old and in the New Testament First we find in the Law Exod. 28.14 that Aaron was to put two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel and so Aaron was to bear the names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial And again Aaron was to bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Ver. 29. Here we find the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel ingraven in stones which the high-Priest usually took with him into the holy place when he appear'd before the Lord first upon his humeral and then upon his pectoral in both shewing that he entred into that place not only or principally in his own behalf but in behalf of the Tribes whom he presented before the Lord that they might be in continual remembrance with the Lord a lively Type of Christ's Intercession who being entred into the Heavens he there appears in the behalf of his Elect and he presents their persons to his Father bearing them as it were upon his shoulders and upon his heart why thus Christ takes our persons into heaven and represents them in his own person to his Father Secondly we find in the Gospel a gracious promise Ephes 2.18 3.12 that by Christ we have access unto the Father and in Christ we have access with confidence Where the word access 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly a manuduction or leading by the hand to God an introduction or bringing into God alluding to the custome in Princes Courts where none may come into the presence-Chamber unless they be led or brought in by some Favourite or Courtier there thus none may have access into the presence of God unless they are brought in by this Favourite of heaven the Lord Jesus Christ whose very office it is to bring men unto God he takes us by the hand and leads us to the Father q. d. Come Souls come along with me and I will carry you to the Father Look how a child that haâ—h run away from his Father is taken by the hand of a friend or of his â—lder brother and so brought again into the presence of his Father even so all we having run away from God are by the good hand of Christ taken up and led again into the presence of the Father he is that Ladder that Jacob saw upon whom we ascend into the bosome of God and into heaven he is that high-Priest that takes our persons and bears them on his shoulders and on his heart sustaining our persons and presenting our conditions unto his Father and our Father unto his God and our God 5. Christs Intercession consists in the presenting of our duties unto God Not only doth he take our persons and leads and carry them into the presence of God but together with our persons he presents all our services in his own person Now in this act he doth these two things 1. He observes what evil or what falling is in our duties and he draws that out and takes it away before he presents them unto God or as a child that would present his Father with a posie he goes into the garden and gathers flowers and weeds together but coming to his Mother she picks out the weeds and binds up the flowers by themselves and so it is presented to the Father thus we go to duty and we gather weeds and flowers together but Christ comes and picks out the weeds and so presents nothing but flowers to God the Father and this is plainly set forth by that ceremony of the high-Priest in taking away the iniquity of their holy things Exod. 28.36.37.38 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it like the ingravings of a Signet holiness to the Lord and thou shalt put it on a blew lace that it may be upon the Mitre upon the fore-front of the Mitre it shall be And it shall be on Aarons fore-head that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord This was the manner of the Ceremony and this was the end of the Ceremony that Aaron might bear and take away the iniquity of their holy things what was this but a Type of Jesus Christ who with his most absolute righteousness covereth all the defects of our good works which are still spotted with some defect Isa 64.6 Alas all our righteousness are as filthy rags but Christ draws out the evil of duty and failings in duty before he will present them unto God 2. He observes what good there is in any of our duties or performances and with that he mingles his own prayers and Intercessions and presents all as one work interwoven or mingled together unto God the Father And another Angel stood at the Altar having a golden Conser Rev. 8.3 4. and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne and the smoke of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand I know there is a controversie who this Angel should be that with the Incense mingles the prayers of all Saints some conjecture him to be a created Angel in that the incense or ordours are said to be given to him and not to be his own or to have them of himself others say he could be no other but the Angel of the Covenant for no Angel doth intercede or present our prayers but Jesus Christ as for that which is spoken concerning the seven Angels presenting the Saints prayers I am Raphael one of the seven holy Angels which present the prayers of the Saints We say it is no canonical Scripture Tobit 12 1â— nor is it authorized by any canonical Scripture besides I cannot think that the Priests were types of Angels but only of Christ Again howsoever the Greek Copies so read that Text yet the antient Hebrew Copy set forth by Paulus Fagius and Jerome who translated it out of the Caldee as Master Mede on Zachar. 4.10 avoucheth reads it thus I am Raphael one of the seven Angels which stand and minister before the glory of the holy One. And certainly in this Text of Revel 8.3 4. There is a figurative description of an heavenly service correspondent to that which was performed in the Temple namely that the people being without at
he did this alone and it constituted the difference betwixt him as he was high Priest and other Priests for they killed and offered the Sacrifices without as well as he but only the high Priest was to approach the holy of hollies with blood and that but once a year 2. This was Typified by Melchizedech's Priest-hood which the Apostle argues to have been much more excellent then that of Aaron's in as much as Levi Aarons Father payed Tythes to this Melchizedech in Abrahams loyns now Melchizedech was his Type not so much in respect of his Oblation or offering Sacrifice as in respect of his continual presentation and intercession in heaven and therefore the same clause for ever still comes in when Melchizedech is named thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech Heb. 5.6 7.17 Here then is the agreement betwixt Christ and the high-Priests of old in respect of name both were Priests and in respect of Office both had their oblations and presentations or intercessions with God in Glory 3. In the point of Intercession they agreed in these particulars 1. The high-Priest of old usually once a year went into the most Holy place within the vail and so is Christ our great high-Priest passed into the Heavens within the Vail even into the holy of holies Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place Not into the holy places made with hands Heb. 9.12 24. which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us 2. The high-Priests of old had a plate of pure Gold upon their Fore-heads which was to bear the iniquity of the holy things that they might be accepted before the Lord Exod. 28.38 and so doth Christ bear the iniquity of our holy things Spiritual Christians here is your comfort you are not able to perform any duty to God but there is a great deal of sin in the same you cannot hear nor pray nor confer nor meditate without much sin but Christ bears all these sins even the iniquity of your holy things and he presents your persons and prayers without the least spot to his Father he is the Angel of the Covenant that stands at the Altar Rev. 8.3 having a golden Censer with much incense to offer it with the prayers of his Saints and so they are acceptable before the Lord. 3. The Jewish high-Priests bore the names of the Children of Israel on a breast-plate of judgment upon their hearts for a memorial before the Lord continually Exod. 28.29 and so doth Christ our great high-Priest bear the names of his people upon his heart before the Lord continually But how is Christ said to bear the names of the Saints upon his heart I answer 1. Continually in presenting of them to his Father as they are in him how is that why he represents them without spot as righteous in his own righteousness Ephes 5.27 Christ loved the Church that he might present it to his Father and in him to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 2. In this continual remembring of them Psal 112.6 the righteous shall be had in continual remembrance this is the souls comfort in a time of desertion or in an evil day Psal 13.1 if any cry out as sometimes David did how long wilt thou forget me Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me Isa 40.14 15 16. Let such a one remember that Christ's redeemed ones are upon his heart and he can not forget them But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Oh no! can a woman forget her suckling child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me the Sons of Zion are upon Christ's heart and hands and they are ever in his sight 3. In his perpetual loving of them they are near and dear unto him he hath set them as a Seal upon his heart so was the prayer of the Spouse set me as a Seal upon thine heart Cant. 8.6 as a Seal upon thine arme and then it follows for love is as strong as death Christ hath an entire love to his Saints he dyed for them and now he intercedes for them he keeps them close to his heart and there is none shall pluck them out of his hands John 13.1 for whom he loves he loves unto the end Thus far of the agreement betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old SECT VI. What the difference is betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old 6. VVHat is the difference betwixt Christ's Intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old There is no question but howsoever they might agree in some respects yet Christ officiates in a more transcendent and eminent way then ever any high Priest did before him now the difference betwixt Christ and them and betwixt Christ's Intercessions and their Intercessions may appear in these particulars Heb. 4.14 1. They were called high Priests but Christ is called the great high Priest such a Title was never given to any but Christ whence the Apostle argues for the steadfastness of our profession seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession 2. The high-Priests then were Aaron and his Sons but Christ our great high-Priest is the Son of God for so he is styled in the same verse the great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Heb. 4.14 Jesus the Son of God 3. The high-Priests then were but for a time but Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech Heb. 5.6 Heb. 7.3 Melchizedech saith the Apostle was without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life That is as far as it is known and so is Christ without a Father on earth and without a Mother in Heaven without beginning and without end he abides a Priest perpetually even to the end of the World yea and the vertue of his Priesthood is infinitely beyond all time even for ever and ever 4. The high-Priests then entred only into that place that was Typically holy but Christ is entred into that place that is properly holy he is entred into the Heavens or if you will as into the holy of holies so into the heaven of heavens 5. The high Priests then did not always intercede for the people only once a year the high Priest entred into the holy of holies and after he had sprinkled the mercy-seat with blood and caused a cloud to rise upon the mercy-seat with his
Christ's intercession why this is the most perfect and consummate act of Christ's Priestly office this argues thy Christ to be a perfect Mediator and being a perfect Mediator no condition can be desperate And being made perfect saith the Apostle he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 9.5 now therefore lead up thy faith to this blessed object and thou hast under consideration the whole of Christ and the total of Christ's actings in this world from first to last in respect of mediation this is the Coronis the up-shot the period the consummation the perfection of all 8. Faith in going to Christ as interceding for us it is principally and mainly to look to the purpose end intent and design of Christ's intercession now the ends of Christ as in the reference unto us are these 1. That we might have communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son I pray for these that as thou Father art in me and I in thee John 17.21 they also may be one in us 2. That we might have the gift of the Holy Ghost I will pray the Father John 14.16 17. and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth 3. That we might have protection against all evil John 17.15 I pray saith Christ that thou wouldst keep them from the evil Some may object are not the faithful Subject to evils corruptions and temptations still how then is that part of the intercession of Christ made good unto us I answer the intercession of Christ is presently available only it is conveyed in a manner suitable and convenient to our present condition so as there may be left room for another life and therefore we must not conceive all presently done it is with us as with Malefactors doomed to death suppose the Supreme power should grant a pardon to be drawn though the grant be of the whole thing at once yet it cannot be written but word after word and line after line so the grant of our protection against all evil is made unto Christ at first but in the execution thereof there is line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little we know Christ prayed for Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not yet Peter's faith did shake and totter the prayer was not that there might be no failing at all but that it might not utterly and totally fail and in that respect Peter was protected Heb. 4.14 16. 4. That we might have free access to the Throne of Grace So the Apostle Seeing then we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Heb. 10.23 and come boldly to the Throne of grace And again Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and having an high Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart in a full assurance of faith 5. That we might have the inward interpellation of the Spirit which is as it were the Eccho of Christ's intercession in our heart Rom. 8.26 The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered It is the same Spirit groans in us which more distinctly and fully in Christ John 17.13 prayeth for us These things I speak in the world saith our Saviour that they might have my joy filled in themselves q. d. I have made this prayer in the world and left a record and pattern of it in the Church that they feeling the same heavenly desires kindled in their own hearts may be comforted in the workings of that Spirit of prayer in them which testifieth to their souls the quality of that intercession which I make for them in the Heaven of Heavens certainly there is a dependance of our prayer on Christ's prayer as it is with the Sun though the body of it abide in the Heavens yet the beams of it descend to us here on earth so the intercession of Christ though as tyed to his person it is made in Heaven yet the groans and desires of the touched heart as the beams thereof are here on earth 6. That we might have the sanctification of our services of this the Levitical Priests were a type Exod. 28.38 Rev. 8.3 For they bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel that they might be accepted and he is the Angel of the Covenant who hath a golden Censer to offer up the prayers of the Saints Some observe a three-fold evil in man of every of which we are delivered by Christ First an evil of state or condition under the guilt of sin Secondly an evil of nature under the corruption of sin Thirdly an evil in all our services by the adherency of sin for that which toucheth an unclean thing is made unclean thereby Now Christ by his righteousness and merits justifieth our persons from the guilt of sin and Christ by his Grace and Spirit doth in measure purifie our faculties from the corruption of sin and Christ by his incense and intercession doth cleanse our services from the adherency of sin so that in them the Lord smells a sweet favour and both we and our services find acceptance with God 7. That we might have the pardon of all sin It is by vertue of Christ's intercession that a Believer sinning of infirmity hath a pardon of course for Christ is his Advocate to plead his case or if he sin of presumption and the Lord give repentance he hath a pardon at the hands of God the Father by vertue of this intercession in a way of justice And to this end rather is Christ called an Advocate than a Petitioner 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father The work of an Advocate differs from the work of a Petitioner an Advocate doth not meerly petition but he tells the Judge what is Law and what ought to be done and so doth Christ O my Father saith Christ this soul hath indeed sinned but I have satisfied for his sins I have payed for them to the full now therefore in a way of equity and justice I do here call for this mans pardon If this were not so our estate would be most miserable considering that for every sin committed by us after repentance we deserve to be cast out of the love and favour of God our Father for ever and ever 8. That we might have continuance in the state of grace I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Some that dissent from us in the point of perseverance object that in our Saviour's Prayer for Peter there was somewhat singular but we say that in this Prayer there is nothing singular which is not common to all the faithful and unto such as are given unto Christ of the Father they
be perswaded to set our hearts on Jesus Christ Christians do you not perceive that the heart of Christ is set upon you and that he is still minding you with tender love even when you forget both your selves and him Do you not find him following you with daily mercies moving on your souls providing for your bodies and preserving both doth he not bear you continually in the armes of love and promise that all shall work together for your good doth he not give his Angels charge over you and suit all his dealings to your greatest advantage and can you find in your hearts to cast him by can you forget your Lord who forgets not you Fie upon this unkind Ingratitude When the Lord speaks of his thoughts and respects to us he gives this language Can a woman forget her sucking-child Isa 49.15 16. that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me But when he speaks of our thoughts to him the case is otherwise Jer. 2 32. can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my People have forgotten me days without number q. d. you would not forget the cloaths on your backs you would not forget your braveries your Ornaments your Attires and are these of more worth than Christ yet you can forget me day after day 8. Consider it 's a command of Christ that we should look to Jesus Behold me behold me lo I lo I A command not only backt with Authority but accompanied with special Ordinances appointed to this end what is Baptism and what is the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.24 25. but the representation of Jesus Christ Is it not Christs command in his last Supper Do this in remembrance of me and this do ye as oft as ye drink in remembrance of me In this Ordinance we have Christ crucified before our Eyes and can we forget him Or can we hold our eyes off him can we see the Bread broken the Wine distinctly severed from the bread and not call to mind according to the Scripture Christs Agony in the Garden and on the Cross can we take and eat the bread and take and drink the cup and not apprehend Christ stooping down from Heaven to feed our souls At such a time if we forget the Lord Jesus Christ it will argue our disaffection our ingratitude our disobedience every way Psa 73.28 Psal 104.34 9. Consider it 's both work and wages to look up unto Jesus Hence David professed it is good for me to draw near to thee and my meditation of him shall be sweet the word imports a sweetness with mixture like compound spices or many flowers Every thought of Jesus is sweet and pleasant nay it 's better than wine Cant. 1.4 we will remember thy love more than Wine there is more content in contemplating on Christ more refreshing to the spirit than wine gives to the body How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God Psa 139.17 look in what kind soever you account a thing precious so precious are the thoughts of God and Christ to a man whose heart is in a right frame Such a one loves every glance of Christ and the more it sees the more it loves It is said of one Eudoxius that he wished he might be admitted to come near the body of the Sun to have a full view of it though it devoured him he was somthing rash in his wish but there is somthing proportionable in a godly spirit he so loves Christ that he could be content to be swallowed up in the beholding of him Certainly there is a blessing in this work when we are bid to look unto Jesus it is but to receive from Jesus is it any thing else but to call and invite us to look on the most pleasing and delightful object That in the beholding of it it may convey it self unto us and we be delighted and filled with it it is all one as if he should bid us sit down by a well of Life and drink or if he should bid us be as the Angels are who are blessed in the beholding of this Jesus why come then if this be a blessed work why will we unbless our selves If the work will exalt us why will we debase our selves in not closing with it If we might live above heaven why will we live below certainly when thoughts of Christ are moving in us Christ himself is not far off he will come and enter too and how sweet is it for Christ to come and take up his habitation in our souls 10. Consider how the Angels exceedingly desire to look on Jesus they stoop down and pry into the Nature Offices and graces of Jesus Christ which things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to look into He alludes to the manner of the Cherubims looking down into the Mercy-Seat this is the study 1 Pet. 1.12 yea this is the delight and recreation of the Elect Angels to look on Jesus and to look into the several scopes of our salvation by Jesus Christ to behold the whole frame and fabrick of it to observe all the parts of it from the beginning to the end to consider all the glorious Attributes of God his Wisdome Power Justice Mercy all shining and glittering in it like bright Stars in the Firmament this I say is their work yea this is their Festivity and Pastime And shall not we imitate the Angels shall not we think it our honour to be admitted to the same priviledge with the Angels 11. Consider that looking unto Jesus is the work of Heaven Vâ—ta contemplativa incipit in hoc seculo proficitur in futuâ—o Bern. it is begun in this life saith Bernard but it is perfected in that life to come not only Angels but the Saints in glory do ever behold the face of God and Christ if then we like not this work how will we live in Heaven the dislike of this Duty is a bar against our entrance for the life of a blessedness is a life of Vision surely if we take no delight in this heaven is no place for us 12. Consider that nothing else is in comparison worth the minding or looking after If Christ have not your hearts who or what should have them O that any Christian should rather delight to have his heart among Thornes and Briers than in the Bosom of his dearest Jesus Why should you follow after drops and neglect the Fountain why should you fly after shadowes and neglect him who is the true substance if the mind have its currant from Christ toward other things these things are not only of less concernment but destructive they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity Jer. 2.5 and are become vain How unworthy the world is of the look of Christians especially when it
Thy Heritage Thou retainest not Thy Anger for ever Jer. because Thou delightest in Mercy And I am the Lord which exercise Loving-Kindness Judgment Righteousness in the Earth for in thâ—se things I delight saith the Lord. 2. Because of that Delight which God hath to be actively glorified by His Creatures voluntary Service and Subjection John 10.18 Ezek. 33.11 Herein is My Father glorified if ye bear much Fruit and I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that he turn from his Way and live He delighteth most in unbloody Conquests when by His Patience and Goodness and Forbearance He subdueth the Hearts Affections and Consciencâ—s of Men unto Himself He esteemeth Himself more glorified in the Services than in the Sufferings of Men and therefore in this Eternity he resolves not to destroy all Men lest there should be no Religion upon the Earth When the Angels fell they fell not all many were still left to glorify Him actively in their Service of Him but when Adam fell all Mankind fell in him so that there was no Tree in all this Paradise lest to bring forth any Fruit unto God And this is most certain that God would rather have His Trees for Fruit than for Fewel Hence He resolves that Mankind notwithstanding Sin should not be utterly destroyed Hereupon the Trinity calls a Counsel and the Question is What is to be done with poor Man The Learned here frame a kind of Conflict in God's holy Attributes by a Liberty which the Holy-Ghost from the Language of Holy Scripture doth allow them they speak of God after the manner of Men as if he were reduced unto some Straits and Difficulties by the cross Demands of His several Attributes Justice calls upon Him for the Condemnation of a Sinful and therefore worthily Accursed Creature which Demand is seconded by His Truth to make good that Threatning In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Death Mercy on the other side pleads for Favour and Compassion towards Man wofully seduced and overthrown by Satan and this Plea is seconded by Love and Goodness and the like Attributes at last when the Business comes to Determination Wisdom finds out a way which the Angels of Heaven gaze on with Admiration Astonishment how to reconcile these different Pleas of his Attributes together A Jesus is resolved on One of the same Blessed Trinity who by His Father's Ordination His own voluntary Susception and the Holy Spirits Sanctification should be fitted for the Business To this purpose this Jesus should be both a Surety and an Head over sinful Men a Surety to pay Mens Debts unto God and an Head to restore God's Image unto Man And thus in Him Mercy and Truth have met together Righteousness and Peace have Kissed each other Psal 83.10 This is the great Mistery of the Gospel this is that which the Angels as I tell you pry into nay this is that which the Angels and Saints too shall admire and bless God for to all Eternity this is that which set the infinit Wisdome of God on work from all Eternity If all the Angels in Heaven and all the Men in the World had been put to it to find out a way to answer this question how shall sin be pardoned the sinner reconciled and God glorify his justice they could never have done it this cost God dear it cost him the heart-blood of his own Son and that 's a sure sign that Gods heart was much in it and indeed we are not Christians until in some measure we see and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mistery O the wonder of Heaven and Earth here 's the case man is fallen through sin and ever since the fall man and sin are as inseparably joyned together as fire and heat yet God will have mercy on the man and he will take vengeance on the sin the Eternal Wisdome of God hath found out a way to translate this mans sins on another Person who is able to bear them and to interest this mans person in anothers Righteousness which is able to cover him so that now all 's one in regard of man as if the Law had been utterly abrogated and all 's one too in regard of God as if the creature had been utterly condemned And all this is done in our Jesus on him was executed the curse of the Law by him was fulfilled the righteousness of the Law for him was remitted the sin of man and through him were all things made new again the world was in Christ as in its Surety making satisfaction to the Justice of God and God was in Christ as in his Embassadour Rom. 11.33 reconciling the world unto himself again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depths of the riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out You have seen the Project and the counsels of God for mans salvation before all worlds Rom. 11.34 it is but dimly for who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour SECT VI. The foreknowledge OF the knowledge of God in this respect we read in Scriptures Acts 2.23 Rom. 8.29 Rom. 11.2 1 Pet. 1.2 Christ is said to be delivered by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledg of God And it is said of Christs members the called according to his purpose whom he did foreknow and elsewhere in the same Epistle God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew And Peter writes to the strangers Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father Understand that foreknowledge is ascribed to God in respect of the creature properly but in respect of God there is nothing past nothing to come all things past and all things to come are present to him and therefore in that sense he cannot be said to foreknow any thing Now the Lord in respect of us is said in Scripture to foreknow things or persons two wayes Psal 139.16 1. Generally by a general knowledge of which Davids speaks thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 2. Specially by a more special foreknowledge which is a knowledge with love and approbation the very same which barely comprehendeth that we call Election Rom. 9.13 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 11.2 so Gods choosing is expressed by loving Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated And this is that which the Apostle speaks of the Lord knoweth who are his i.e. the Lord from everlasting knoweth his with love and with approbation hath God cast away his people which he foreknew i. which he before loved and approved hence we gather that after the Project was laid and the Councels of God were agreed upon it then God foreknew or foresaw whom to embrace in his eternal love as his own
greatest part of thy Salvation already done to thy hand nay I 'le tell thee more poor soul then thus even Christ himself from all Eternity hath engaged for thee that thou shalt believe O then put not Christ to be challenged of his engagement by refusing the Gospel surely when thou believest thou makest Christs word good he that believeth not makes God a liar though in another sense and for ought he knoweth even in this that he frustrates Christs undertakings in the Covenant And therefore believe yea and cry Lord I believe help thou my unbelief increase my Faith till I come to full assurance of Faith Faith in this sense is the very Eye of the Soul reading is Name Written in the Book of Life it is an apprehension of our particular Election O believe till thou comest up to this fullness of perswasion of Gods Love in Christ SECT VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect 6. WE must love Jesus as carrying on that great work of our Salvation in that Eternity And this is the fruit or effect of Faith if once we believe that all those designs and transactions were for us even for us O then how should we but love that God and love that Christ who thus firstly and freely loved us God loved us before we loved him for he loved us in that Eternity before all Worlds surely then we are bound to love him First and above all things As the Diamond formeth and fashioneth the Diamond so love formeth and fashioneth Love or as fire converteth Fewel into Fire so this antient love of God and Christ may well cause our love again O Christ didst not thou love us who doubts it that but reads over the project councel foreknowledge purpose decree and covenant of God and Christ who doubts it that but reads the eternal designe of God that Christ should go out of himself and suffer an extasie through the vehemency of his love that Christ should so far abase his Majesty as to dye for us that we might not dye but live with him O then how should this but kindle in our hearts a most ardent love towards God and Christ what more effectuall motive to work mans love then to be prevented by the love bounty of another That this fruit doth spring from the sense of our Election Bernard observes who is righteous but he that requiteth the love of God with love again Bern. Epi. 107. which is never done except the holy Ghost reveale unto a man by faith Gods eternal purpose concerning his future salvation And hence it is that the heart is most in frame when it is a considering the eternal love of God in Christ 2 â—am 1.26 As David said of Jonathan thou hast been very pleasant to me thy love to me was wonderful so a poor soul gathering up all the goodness of God in that Eternity and feeding upon it and the variety of it it breaths out in that expression thou hast been very pleasant to me O God thy love to me hath been wonderfull O my soul that thou couldest so live by faith on these eternal passages as that thou mightest attain to the highest fruits of faith not onely to love God and Christ but to love them with a burning love with a mighty love such a love as lyes in the most vigorous prosecution after Jesus Christ and in the most faithful resignation of thy self to God such a love as works the most delightful aspect of God and Christ as makes a man to behold God and Christ with all cheerfulness such a love as works a man to extoll the praises of God O in these things lyes the strength of love But alas this is or at least this should be thy grief that thou canst not love so well and so warmly as thou art beloved Christ comes towards thee Skipping like the Hart or Roe on the Mountaines of spices Cant 8 14. but thy love towards Christ is creeping like the worme in the unwholsome valley Indeed the best affections have their fits of swooning it may be for the present thy love is cold O but come up to this fire consider how God and Christ loved thee in every of these 1. His project to save they soul sprung out of his love love was the first wheele that set all the eternall works of God a going what was that great designe of God but onely an expression of his love it was his pleasure to communicate himself and the rise of that communication was his love 2. The Counsels of God were all in love had not love been as President of the Counsel where hadst thou been when all the attributes of God were at a stand it was the love of God in Christ that resolved the question for thy salvation 3. The foreknowledge of God was a foreknowledge of love and approbation in his eternal love he embraced thee as his own he foreknew thee i. of his free love he set thee apart to life and to salvation God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the World Ephes 1.4 he chose us in Christ but not for Christ nothing at all moved him to Elect thee but his own good pleasure and free love 4. The purpose of God was a resolution of love it speaks his love to be a constant setled abiding love John 13.1 no unkindness shall alter it for having loved his own he loves them unto the end nay he loves them without end from everlasting to everlasting 5. The decree of God was an order as I may call it or an act of love to give in time that grace unto his elect which before all time he decreed should be an effectual means to bring them unto glory 6. The covenant betwixt God and Christ was an agreement of love God and Christ struck hands to save our souls 2 Tim. 1 9. grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Grace was given us that is the gracious love and favour of God in Christ was given us before all secular times This was Gods meaning from everlasting this was the designe yea the greatest designe that ever God had to set out the infinite glory and the riches of his love in Jesus Christ No question but he had other great designes in doing such great things as he hath done but above all the designes that ever God had in all his works this is the chiefe to honour his mercy to glorify the riches of his love and grace had it not been for this he would never have made the World and therefore in that World to come it will be the delight of God to shew his Saints and Angels what he is able to do for a creature yea he will to all Eternity declare to them to what an height of excellency and glory his love and mercy is able to raise poor souls so that the very Saints and Angels shall admire adore and magnifie the name of God
That he should pass by so many on the right hand and on the left and that I should be one whom the Lord did Elect what such a vile and sinful Wretch as I am was there ever like Love was there ever like Mercy may not Heaven and Earth stand amazed at this O what shall I do to be thankful enough to this dear God Thus thou that knowest thy interest in Christ study praise and thankfulness Say in thy self who made me to differ from those Cast-away Souls Alas we were all framed of the same Mould hewed out of the same Rock It is storied of one of the late French Kings that in a serious meditation considering his own condition of being King and Ruler of that Nation Oh said he when I was born a Thousand other Souls were born in this Kingdome with me and what have I done to God more than they O my Soul what difference betwixt thee and those many Thousands of Reprobates that live with thee in the world at this day nothing surely nothing but the free mercy goodness and love of God in Jesus Christ O then praise this God yea sound forth the Praise of the Glory of his Grace Remember that was Gods design and that is thy Duty SECT IX On conforming to Jesus in that Respect 2. WE must Conform to Jesus we must fix our Eyes on Jesus for our Imitation that also is the meaning of this looking in the Text. And in respect of our Predestination the Apostle speaks expresly Rom. 8 29. he did Predestinate us to be conformed to the Image of his Son This is one end of Predestination and this is one end of looking unto Jesus nay it is included in it A very look on Jesus hath a Power in it to conform us to the Image of Jesus 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed by beholding saith the Apostle Oh when I see Gods love in Christ to me even from all Eternity how should this but stir up my Soul to be like Jesus Christ where there is a dependance there is a desire to be like even among men how much more considering my dependance on God in Christ should I desire to be like Christ in disposition all the question is what is this Image of Christ to which we must be conformed I Answer Holiness and Happiness but because the latter is our reward and the former is our duty therefore look to that But wherein consists that I Answer in that resemblance likeness and conformity to Christ in all the passages forementioned And in every of those must we conform to Christ As 1. Christ is the Son of God so must we be Gods Sons As many as received him to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 Mal. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.17 O what duty lies upon us in this respect If I be your Father where is mine Honour and if ye call on the Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear God looks for more honour fear reverence duty and obedience from a Son than from the Rabble of the World if thou art Gods Son thy sins more offend God then the sins of all the reprobates in the world why alas thy sins are not meer transgressions of the Law but committed against the mercy bounty and goodness of God vouchsafed unto thee thy sins have a world of unthankfulness joyned with them and therefore how should God but visit Amos 3.2 you onely have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I visit you for all your Iniquities O think of this you that are Gods Sons and conform to Christ for he was an Obedient Son 2. Christ the Son of God delights in the Father and his delight is also with the Sons of men so must we delight in the Father and delight in his Children Psa 37.4 Psa 16.3 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thy Heart And the Saints that are on the Earth are they in whom is all my Delight saith David It is storied of Dr. Taylor that being in prison he could delight in God and he rejoyced that ever he came into Prison because of his acquaintance with that Angel of God as he called Mr. Bradford O this is Heaven upon Earth not only God but the very Saints of God are sweet Objects of delight Mark them and if they be Saints indeed they are savory in their Discourse in their Duties in their Carriages their Example is powerful their society profitable how should we but delight in them 3. God and Christ laid this Plot from all Eternity that all he would do should be to the praise of the glory of his Grace So must we purpose this as the end of all our actions whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we must do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 But especially if from God we receive any spiritual good then give all again to the glory of his grace Dan. 2 20 23 Blessed be the Name of God for ever and ever said Daniel for Wisdom and might are his and I thank thee and praise thee O God of my Fathers who hast given me Wisdome and Might an excellent spirit of Wisdome and Might wrought in Daniel and he acknowledges all to the Giver wisdome and might are his Christians if you feel grace in your hearts I beseech you acknowledge it to Christ He does all he subdues Lusts heals VVounds staies inward Issues sets broken Bones and makes them to rejoyce and therefore let him him the glory of all do you acknowledge grace in it's latitude to the God of all grace 4. God and Christ counselled about our Salvation there was a great conflict in the Attributes of God justice and mercy could not be reconciled till the Wisdom of God found out that glorious and wonderful expedient the Lord Jesus Christ so let us Counsel about our Salvation the flesh and the spirit whereof we are compounded draw several wayes the Flesh draws Hell-ward and the Spirit Heaven-ward come then call we in heavenly and spiritual Wisdome to decide this Controversie you may hear its Language in Job 28.28 Job 28.28 Behold the fear of the Lord that is Wisdome and to depart from evil is Vnderstanding If we would draw heaven-ward and save our souls come then let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments Eccles 12.13 for this is the whole duty of Man Keep his Commandments in an Evangelical sense i look at the expedient Jesus Christ who hath kept them for us and in whom and through whom our imperfect Obedience is accepted with God 5. God and Christ loved us with an everlasting Love So must we love him who hath first loved us this is the nature of spiritual Love that it runs into its own Ocean O love the Lord all ye his Saints who hath more cause to love him then you
and in some of these if not in all of these thou wilt find thy Objections answered removed routed 3. It is sure God is not fast and loose in his Covenant heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or title of his Word shall fail consider O my Soul he both can and will perform his Word his Power his Love his Faithfulness his Constancy all stand engaged What sweet matter is here for a Soul to dwell upon what needs it go out to other objects whilst it may find enough here but especially what needs it to bestow it self upon vain things O that so much pretious sand of our thoughts should run out after Sin and so little after grace or after this Covenant of grace 5. Jer. 31.33 34 Consider Jesus in that new Covenant or Promise which God made with Israel and Judah I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their Sins no more Oh what an errour is it that there is no inherent righteousness in the Saints there is no grace in the soul of a believer but only in Christ is not this the ordinary Scripture phrase Ezek. 36.27 John 4.14 1 John 2 27. Col. 1.27 Ezek. 1.20 I will put my Spirit within you and the water that I shall give you shall be in you a Well of water springing up into everlasting Life and the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and Christ in you the hope of glory Observe how the spirit of the Living Creatures was in the Wheels so that when the Spirit went they went and when the Spirit was lifted up they were lifted up even so is the Spirit of Christ acting and guiding and framing and disposing them to move and walk according to his Laws Luk. 17.21 Psal 40.8 The Kingdom of heaven is within you saith Christ and I delight to do thy Will O God saith David yea thy Law is within my heart O my Soul if thou art in Covenant whith God besides the in-dwelling of the Spirit there is a certain spiritual Power or Principle of Grace which Christ by his Spirit hath put into thy heart enabling thee in some measure to move thy self towards God And this Principle is sometimes called a new Life Rom. 6.4 Sometimes a Living with Christ Rom. 6 8. Sometimes a being alive to God Rom. 6.11 Sometimes a revealing of his son in man Gal. 1.15 And somtimes a putting of the Law into our inward parts and a writing of the Law within the heart Jer. 31.33 O consider of this inward Principle it is an excellent subject worthy of thy consideration 2. I will be their God and they shall be my people Consider God essentially and personally God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost God in himself and God in his Creatures this very promise turns over heaven and earth and sea and land and bread and cloths and sleep and the world and life and death into free grace No wonder if God set this promise in the midst of the Covenant as the heart in the midst of the Body to communicate life to all the rest this promise hath an influence into all other promises it is the great promise of the new Covenant it is as great as God is though the heavens and heaven of heavens be not able to contain him yet this Promise contains him God shuts up himself as it were in it I will be their God 2. They shall be my People i.e. They shall be to me a peculiar People Tit. 2.14 The word hath this Emphasis in it that God looks upon all other things as accidents in comparison and his substance is his People they are his very Portion for the Lords Portion is his People Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance They are his treasure his peculiar treasure Deut. 32.9 Exod 19.5 his peculiar treasure above all People If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me and above all people for all the earth is mine Observe O my soul all the earth is mine q. d. All people is my people but I have a special interest in my covenanted people they are only my portion my peculiar treasure Blessed be Egypt my People Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine Inheritance I have made all People Egypt and Assyria and all the world is mine but only Israel is my inheritance the Saints are those that God satisfies himself in the Saints are those that God hath set his heart upon they are children of the high God they are the Spouse that are Married to the Lamb they are nearer God in some respects than the very Angels themselves for the Angels are not in a mystical union so Married to Christ as Gods People are Isa 19.28 O the happyness of Saints I will be their God and they shall be my People 3. They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. Consider of this O poor Soul thou complainest many a time of thy weakness thou knowest little or nothing why see here a Glorious promise if thou art but in Covenant with God thou shalt be taught of God and then thou shalt know God far more clearly than the Jews of old he will open to thee all his treasures of wisdom and knowledg he will bestow on thee a greater measure of his Spirit so that out of thy belly shall flow Rivers of Living waters John 7.38 We say a good Tutor may teach more in a day than another in a week in a month now the promise runs thus that all thy Children shall be taught of God Isa 54.13 not that private instruction or publick Ministry must be excluded we know these are appointed under the New Testament and are subordinate to the Spirits teaching but that the teachings of God do far surpass the teachings of men and therefore the knowledg of God under the New Testament shall far surpass that under the old herein appears the excellency of Christ's prophetical Office He is such a Prophet as enlightens every man within John 1.9.33 that comes into the World He is such a Prophet as baptiseth with the Holy Ghost and with Fire He is such a Prophet as makes men's hearts to burn within them when he speaks unto them He is such a Prophet as bids his Ministers Luk. 24.32 Mat. 28.19.20 Go teach all Nations and I will be with you and I will
where-ever Christ is clusters of divine promises grow out of him as the motes rayes and beames are from the Sun I shall instance in some few As 1. God in the Covenant gives the world All is yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World Mat. 6 33. 1 Cor. 3.22 First seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you These temporary blessings are a part of the Covenant which God hath made to his People It is he that giveth thee Power to get wealth that he may establish his Covenant which he sware unto thy Fathers Others Deut. 8.18 I know may have the World but they have it not by a Covenant-right it may be thou hast but a little a very little of the world well but thou hast it by a Covenant-right and so it is an earnest of all the rest 2. As God in the Covenant gives thee the world so in comparison of thee and his other Saints he cares not what becomes of all the world I loved thee saith God Isa 43.4 therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy Life If the case be so that it cannot be well with thee but great evils must come upon others kindred people and nations I do not so much care for them saith God my heart is on thee so as in Comparison of thee I care not what becomes of all the world O the love of God to his Saints 3. God in the Covenant pardons thy sins this is another fruit of Gods love Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins by his own blood Rev. 1.5 it cost him dear to pardon our sins even the heart-blood of Christ such were the transactions betwixt God and Christ if thou wilt take upon thee to deliver souls from sin saith God to his Son thou must come thy self and be made a Curse for their Sin Well saith Christ thy will be done in it though I lose my Life though it cost me the best blood in my heart yet let me deliver them from sin This exceedingly heightens Christs Love that he should foresee thy sin and that yet he should Love Many times we set our Love on some outward unthankful Creatures and we say could I but have foreseen this untowardness they should never have had my Love but now the Lord did foresee all thy sins and all thy ill requitals for love and yet it did not once hinder his love towards thee but he puts this in the Covenant I will forgive their Iniquities and remember their sins no more Ezek. 36.25 4. God in the Covenant gives thee Holiness and Sanctification I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you this Holiness is our excellency in the eyes of Men and Angels this is the Crown and Diadem upon the heads of Saints whence David calls them by the name of excellent ones Holiness is a Spirit of Glory 1 Pet. 4.14 it is the delight of God Psal 16.3 1 Pet. 4.14 as a Father delights himself in seeing his own Image in his Children so God delights himself in the Holiness of his Saints God loved them before with a love of benevolence and good-will but now he loves them with a love of complacency Psal 47.11 Psal 149.4 The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him the Lord takes pleasure in his People Holiness is the very Essence of God the Divine Nature of God O what is this that God should put his own nature into thee You are partakers of the Divine Nature O what a love is this that God should put his own Life into thee that he should enable thee to live the very same life that he himself lives remember that piece of the Covenant I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts 5. God in the Covenant gives thee the knowledg of himself it may be thou knewest him before but 't is another kind of knowledg that God now gives thee than thou hadst before When God teaches the Soul to know him it looks on God with another eye it sees now another beauty in God than ever it saw before for all that knowledg that it had before bred not love only Covenant-knowledg of God works in the Soul a true Love of God But how doth this Covenant-knowledg work this Love I shall tell you my own experiences I go through all the Virtues Graces and Excellencies that are most amiable and I look in the Scriptures and there I find them in God alone if ever I saw any excellency in any man or in any Creature I think with my self there is more in God that made that Creature He that made the Eye shall not he see And so he that made that Loveliness is not he Lovely Now when by these Mediums I have presented God thus lovely to my Soul then I begin to feel my heart to warm As when I conceive such an Idea of a man that he is of such a carriage behaviour disposition that he hath a mind thus and thus framed qualified and beautified why then I love him so when I apprehend the Lord aright when I observe him as he is described in his Word when I observe his doings and consider his workings and learn from all these together a right Idaea opinion or apprehension of him then my will follows my understanding and my affections follow them both and I come to love God and to delight in God O here 's a sweet knowledg surely it was God's Love in Christ to put this blessed Article into the Covenant of grace They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. 6. God in the Covenant of grace gives thee his Son John 13.6 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Nay more as God hath given thee his Son so he hath given thee himself O my Soul wouldest thou not think it a marvellous love if God should say to thee Come Soul I Will give thee all the World for thy Portion or that I may give thee a testimony that I love thee I will make another world for thy sake and I will make thee Emperour of that world also Surely thou wouldst say God loves me dearly ay but in that God hath given thee his Son and given thee himself this is a greater degree of Love Christiâ—ns stand amazed Oh what love is this to the Children of men Oh that we should live to have our ears filled with this sound from Heaven I will be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee I am the Lord thy God I will be their God and they shall be my People O my Soul where hast thou been rouze up and recollect and set before thee
effect the fruit the benefit of his Conception Birth and of the wonderful union of the two natures of Christ may be all thine What dost thou hope in Jesus and believe thy part in this Incarnation of Christ why then pray in hope and pray in Faith what is prayer but the stream and river of Faith an issue of the desire of that which I joyfully believe 2 Sam. 7.27 Thou O Lord God of Hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy Servant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this Prayer unto thee 2. We must praise This was the special duty practised by all Saints and Angels at Christs Birth Luke 1.46 Luke 1.68 My Soul doth magnifie the Lord saith Mary and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And blessed be the Lord God of Israel said Zachary for he hath visited and redeemed his People and Glory to God in the highest said the Heavenly Host only one Angel had before brought the News Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord but immediately after there were many to sing praises not only six Cherubims as Isaiah saw nor only four and twenty Elders as John saw but a multitude of Heavenly Angels like Armies that by their Heavenly Hallelujahs gave Glory to God O my soul do thou endeavour to keep consort with those many Angels O sing Praises sing Praises unto God sing Praises Never was like case since the first Creation never was the wisdom truth justice mercy and goodness of God so manifest before I shall never forget that last speech of a dying Saint upon the stage Blessed be God for Jesus Christ O my soul living and dying let this be thought on What Christ incarnate for me why bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in reference to this great transaction of his Incarnation Looking to Jesus contains this and is the cause of this the sight of God will make us like to God and the sight of Christ will make us like to Christ for as a Looking-Glass cannot be exposed to the Sun but it will shine like the same so God receives none to contemplate his face but he transforms them into his own likeness by the irradiation of his light and Christ hath none that dive into these depths of his glorious and blessed Incarnation but they carry along with them sweet impressions of an abiding and transforming nature Come then let us once more look on Jesus in his Incarnation that we may conform and be like to Jesus in that respect But wherein lies this conformity or likeness to Jesus I answer in these and the like particulars 1. Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Ghost so must Christ be conceived in us by the same holy Ghost To this purpose is the seed of the Word cast in and principles of Grace are by the Holy Ghost infused he hath begotten us by the Word saith the Apostle Jam. 1.18 James 1.18 How Mean Contemptible or Impotent Men may esteem it yet God hath appointed no other means to convey supernatural life but after this manner Where no Vision is the People perish where no preaching is there is a worse judgment than that of Egypt when there was one dead in every Family By the Word and Spirit the Seeds of all Grace are sown in the heart at once and the heart closing with it immediatly Christ is conceived in the heart Concerning this spiritual Conception or Reception of Christ in us there is a great question Whether it be possible for any man to discern how it is wrought But for the Negative are these Texts Our Life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 and the Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth Joh. 3.8 It is a wonderful hidden and secret Conception The holy Ghost sets out that state of unregeneracy in which Christ finds us by the name of Death Eph. 2.1 So that it must needs be as impossible for us to discover how it is wrought as it is impossible for one to know how he receives his own life Some say the first act of infusing or receiving Christ or Grace they are all one is wrought in an instant and not by degrees and therefore it is impossible to discern the manner And yet we grant that we may discern both the preparations to Grace and the first operations of Grace 1. The preparations to Grace are discernable such are those terrours and spiritual agonies which are often before the work of Regeneration they may be resembled to the heating of metals before they melt and are cast into the Mold to be fashioned now by the help of Natural Reason one may discern these 2. Much more may the first Motion and Operations of Grace be discerned by one truly regenerate because that in them his Spirit works together with the Spirit of Christ such are sorrow for sin as sin and seek rightly for comfort an hungring desire after Christ and his Merits neither do I think it impossible for a regenerate man to feel the very first illapse of the Spirit into the Soul for it may bring that sense with it self as to be easily discerned although it doth not alwayes see nor perhaps usually see it is true that the giving of Spiritual Life and the giving of the sense of it are two distinct acts of the Spirit yet who can deny but that both these acts may go together though alwayes they do not go together Howsoever it is yet even in such Persons as in the instant of Regeneration may feel themselves in a regenerate estate this Conclusion stands firm viz. They may know what is wrought in them but how it is wrought they cannot know nor understand we feel the Wind and perceive it in the motions and operations thereof but the Originals of it we are not able exactly to describe some think the beginnings of Winds are from the flux of the Air others from the exhalations of the Earth but there is no certainty so it is in the manner of this Conception or passive Reception of Christ and Grace into our hearts we know not how it is wrought but it nearly concerns us to know that it is wrought look we to his conformity that as Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Ghost so that Christ be conceived in us in a spiritual sense by the same Holy Ghost 2. Christ was sanctified in the Virgins Womb so must we be sanctified in our selves following the Commandment of God Be ye holy as I am holy Souls regenerate must be sanctified Every man saith the Apostle that hath this hope in him 1 John 3.3 purifieth himself even as he is pure I know
which makes the encounter so much the more dangerous As 1. A Garrison of Soldiers ready at hand to appease occasional tumults 2. The temper of those mens spirits with whom the business was Cham. in loc they were men set upon gain the World's God 3. The great Confluence of the people it being the most solemn Mart of the Passover O what a Zeal was this that neither the weakness of the means on the one side to effect it nor the greatness of the power on the other side to hinder it did at all dismay him or cause him to desist seem he never so weak or be they never so strong he whips them out of the Temple and bids them be gone This action of Christ fulfils that Prophesie of Malachy Mal. 3.1 2 3. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple but who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like Refiners fire and like Fullers Sope and he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and as Silver that they may offer unto the Lord an Offering in Righteousness From the main we may observe that a perswasion of Christ's presence in our Church-assemblies is a special means or motive to bring all into order But what is this presence of Christ in Church-assembles If by Christ's presence we mean his bodily presence it is true that Christ in his Humanity whipped the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple of Jerusalem then in his Manhood he was upon Earth and accordingly he vouchsafed his bodily presence to their assemblies and publick places but now his Manhood is in Heaven Acts 3.21 and the Heavens must contain him till the times of restitution of all things Now therefore we cannot expect his bodily presence unless we will maintain the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or of Consubstantiation which far be it from us 2. If by Christ's presence we mean his spiritual presence then the question is what is this spiritual presence of Christ for if we say it is his presence as he is God I should then query how God is said to be present with men in one place more than another God in his essence is fully every where and inclusively no where Heaven is his Throne and Earth is his Footstool and yet nor Earth nor Heaven nor the Heaven of Heavens is able to contain him whiles we speak spiritually of Christ's presence in the assemblies of his People we cannot mean his Universal presence but his especial presence and therefore as yet I suppose we have not the meaning of it 3. If by Christ's presence we mean the presence of his Spirit either in himself or especially in his workings stirrings actings and movings in our Spirit I should then subscribe only I think this is not all that is included in his especial presence true it is that when Christ was upon Earth he told his Disciples that he must go away for if he went not away the Comforter would not come unto them John 16.7 But if I depart said he I will send him unto you and accordingly when that Church-assembly was convened at Pentecost God sent the Holy Ghost much people being then gathered at Jerusalem that it might be divulged to all the World To all the Assemblies of the Saints Christ promised his Spirit though not alwayes in a visible manner Mat. 8.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my name saith Christ there I am in the midst of them Christ in his Spirit is in the midst of us stirring and moving in our spirits or the spirit of Unity is with united spirits O he is a sweet Spirit a Spirit of Love and Concord and Peace and Glory and therefore where should he be but with those that make harmony upon Earth He is with them and amongst them and in them 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and worketh in you 4. If by Christ's presence we mean the presence of his Angels I shall then say we have said enough as a King is said to be where his Court is where his Train or Retinue are so Christ the King of Kings is there especially present where the Heavenly Guard the blessed Angels keep their sacred Station and Rendezvouz wheresoever it is Now that this is Christ's special presence it will appear in sundry Texts 1. When Jacob saw that vision in Bethel of the Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven Gen. 28.16 17 and of the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it Surely saith Jacob the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and said how dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven He calls it God's House where God and his holy Angels who are of his Houshold are especially present and he calls it the Gate of Heaven Heaven's Guild-Hall Heaven's Court namely because of the Angels for the Gate Guild-Hall or Court was wont to be the judgment-Hall and the place where Kings and Senators used to sit attended by their Guard and Ministers The Caldee addeth This is no common or private place but a place wherein God taketh pleasure and over against this place is the Gate of Heaven 2. When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai to give the Law some place the specification of God's presence in the Angels to which purpose are alledged these Texts Who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels Acts 7.53 Gal. 3.19 Heb. 2.2 and have not kept it and again The Law was ordained by Angels in the Hand of a Mediator Again the Apostle calls the Law the Word spoken by Angels I have already delivered my thoughts concerning these Angels but some I say conclude from hence that the special presence of the Divine Majesty consists in the encamping of his sacred Retinue the blessed Angels for that the Lord of himself who filleth Heaven and Earth could not descend or be in one place more than another There 's yet another Text very pertinent to this And he said Deut. 33.2 the Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them he shined forth from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousands of his Saints from his right hand went a fiery Law for them Psal 68.17 the words translated ten thousand of his Saints are in the Original ten thousands of Sanctity or holy ten thousands or holy Myriads which in my apprehension points to the Angels rather than his Saints and the Psalmist puts it out of question The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy Place 3. After the Law given this presence of God was fixed to the Temple and what that was Isa
marvellous that Jesus Christ by these means should overthrow the Kingdom of pride and yet that there should remain in me the relicks of pride consider all those night-sufferings of Christ O cruel night O unquiet night now was the season that all creatures should take their rest that the senses and members wearied with toils and labours should be refreshed but on the contrary Christ's members and senses were then tormented they struck his body they afflicted his soul they bound his hands they buffetted his cheeks they spit in his face O my soul thou sinnest in the dark in covert in secret when no eye is upon thee when the Sun that eye of the world is set or hid and therefore all the night long is Christ thus tormented by thy sins not one jot of rest hath Christ not a wink of sleep must seize on him whom thou by the alarm of thy sins disquieted both at evening at mid-night and at the Cock-Crow and at the dawning 4. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Caiphas to Pilate now he stands before Pilate where he was accused of sedition seduction and usurpation Not only Jews but Gentiles have their hands imbrewed in the blood of Christ Pilate was delegated from Cesar Luke 18.31 both of them Gentiles yet not without a prophesie Behold we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles at the Gentile-tribunal being questioned of his Kingdom and he answers both the Jews and Gentiles that they need not fear his usurpation John 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this world He gives Kingdoms that are eternal but he will take away none that are temporal Christ came not into the world to be Cesar's or Pilate's or Herod's successor but if they had believed to have been their Saviour Look through the Chronicles of his life and we find him so far from a King that he was the meanest servant of all men where was he born but at Bethlehem a little City where did the Shepherds find him but in a poor cottage who were his Disciples but a deal of Fishermen who his Companions but Publicans and sinners is he hungry where stands his table but on plain ground what are his dainties but bread and a few Fishes where is his lodging but at the stern of a Ship Here 's a King without either presence-chamber or bed-chamber The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head Come fear not Pilate the loss of thy diadem it may be the people would sometimes have made him a King but see how he flies from it My Kingdom is not of this World saith Jesus Oh that I could but contemn the World as Christ did O that first and above all I could seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness Oh my soul I feel it I feel it unless I can be free from the affection of all creatures I cannot with freedom of mind aspire unto divine things unless I be willing with Christ to tread on Crowns and Scepters to be despised and forsaken of all and to be esteemed nothing at all I can have no inward peace nor be spiritually enlightned nor be wholly united to the Lord Jesus Christ 5. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Pilate to Herod there is he questioned of many things but justly is the Lamb of God dumb and opened not his mouth to him that not long before had taken away his voice upon this he is mocked Luke 23.11 and arrayed in a gorgeous robe Wisdom is taken for Folly Vertue for Vice Truth for Blasphemy Temperance for Gluttony the Peace-maker of all the World for a seditious disturber of the World the reformer of the Law for a breaker of the Law and the justifier of sinners for a sinner and the follower of sinners See how he emptied himself and made himself of no reputation that he might fill thee with goodness and make thee spiritually wise unto salvation 6. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Herod back again to Pilate O my Saviour how art thou now abused new accusations are forged and when Pilate sees that nothing will do but Christ must dye he delivers him to be stripped whipped cloathed in Purple crowned with Thorns and Sceptred with a Reed He that with spittle cured the eyes of the blind is now blinded with their spittle who can number those stripes wherewith they flea and tare his body one wound eating into another that there is no health in his bones by reason of my sins O Jesus was that frothy spittle the Ointment those Thorns thy Crown that Reed thy Scepter that Purple-dyed and imbroidered with blood thy Royal Robes or because Adam's sin brought forth Thorns must it therefore be thy pennance to wear them unthankful people thus watered with his blood that bring forth nothing but Thorns to crown him But Oh that the Lord of Heaven the Creator of the World the Glory of the Angels the Wisdom of God should for my sake be punished with whips and scourges O my heart how can I think on this without tears of blood O joy of the Angels and Glory of Saints who hath thus disfigured thee who hath thus defiled thee with so many bloody blows certainly they were not thy sins but mine it was love and mercy that compast thee about and caused thee to take upon thee this so heavy a burthen love was the cause why thou didst bestow upon me all thy benefits and mercy moved thee to take upon thee all my miseries 7. Consider that sad spectacle of Jesus when he came forth wearing the Crown of Thorns and the Purple Robe and Pilate saying unto them behold the Man John 19.5 O my soul fix thy eyes on the sad object suppose thy self in the case of Jesus what if in so sensible and tender a part as thy head is men should fasten a number of Thorns yea and those so sharp that they should pierce into thy scull why alas thou canst hardly abide the prick of a pin much less the piercing in of so many Thorns O but thy Jesus was crowned with Thorns and Sceptred with a Reed and that Reed was taken out of his hands to beat the Crown of Thorns into his head and besides thy Jesus was whipped with cords and rods and little chains of iron that from his shoulders to the soles of his feet there was no part free and being now in this plight thou art called on to behold the Man dost thou see him is thy imagination strong canst thou consider him at present as if thou hadst a view of this very man methinks it should make thee break out and say O brightness of thy Fathers glory who hath thus cruelly dealt with thee O unspotted glass of the Majesty of God who hath thus wholly disfigured thee O river that flows out
making Christ 's death of none effect O come and with joy draw water out of this well of Salvation Isa 12.3 5. Another cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me the very thoughts of hell seem to astonish my heart methinks I see a little peep-hole down into hell and the devil roaring there being reserved in chains under darkness untill the judgment of the great day and methinks I see the damned flaming and Judas and all the wicked in the world and they of Sodom and Gomorrah there lying and roaing and gnashing their teeth now I have sinned and why should not I be damned Oh why should not the wrath of God be executed on me yea even upon me I answer the death of Christ acquits thee of all Rom. 20.6 Blessed is he that hath a part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Christ's death hath took away the pains of the second death yea pains and power too for it shall never oppress such as belong to Christ If Hell and Devils could speak a word of truth they would say Comfort your selves ye believing souls we have no power over you for the Lord Jesus hath conquered us and we have quite lost the cause Paul was very confident of this and therefore he throws down the Gauntlet and challengeth a dispute with all commers Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 34. it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed let sin and the law and justice and death and hell yea and all the Devils in Hell unite their forces this one argument of Christ's death it is Christ that dyed will be enough to confute and confound them all Come then and comfort your selves all believers in this death of Christ what do you believe and are you confident that you do believe why then do you sit drooping What manner of communications are these that you have as ye walk and are sad Luke 24.17 Away away dumpishness despair disquietness of spirit Christ is dead that you might live and be blessed in this respect every thing speaks comfort if you could but see it God and men heaven and earth Angels and devils the very justice of God it self is now your friend and bids you go away comforted for it is satisfied to the full Heaven it self waits on you and keeps the dores open that your souls may enter We have boldness saith the Apostle to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Heb. 10.20 by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Christ's death hath set open all the golden gates and dores of glory and therefore go away chearily and get you to heaven and when you come there be discouraged or discomforted if you can O my soul I see thou art pouring on sin on thy crimson sins and scarlet sins but I would have thee dwell on that crimson scarlet blood of Christ Oh it is the blood of sprinkling it speaks better things than the blood of Abel it cryes for mercy and pardon and refreshing and salvation thy sins cry Lord do me justice against such a soul but the blood of Christ hath another cry I am abased and humbled and I have answered all Methinks this should make thy heart leap for joy Oh the honey the sweet that we may suck out of this blood of Christ come lay to thy mouth and drink an hearty draught it is this spiritual wine that makes merry the heart of man and it is the voice of Christ to all his guests Eat O friends Cant. 5.1 drink yea drink abundantly O beloved SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus 1. We must pray that all these Transactions of Christ in his sufferings and death may be ours if we direct our prayers immediately to Jesus Christ let us tell him what anguish and pains he hath suffered for our sakes and let us complain against our selves Oh what shall we do who by our sins have so tormented our dearest Lord what contrition can be great enough what tears sufficiently expressive what hatred and detestation equal and commensurate to those sad and heavy sufferings of our Jesus And then let us pray that he would pity us and forgive us those sins wherewith we crucified him that he would bestow on us the vertue of his sufferings and death that his wounds might heal us his death might quicken us and his blood might cleanse us from all our spiritual filth of sin and lastly that he would assure us that his death is ours that he would perswade us That neither death nor life nor Angels Rom. 8.38 39. nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature should be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. We must praise the Lord for all these sufferings of Christ Hath he indeed suffered all these punishments for us Oh then what shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits upon us what shall we do for him who hath done and suffered all these things but especially if we believe our part in the death of Christ in all the vertues benefits victories purchases and priviledges of his precious death oh then what manifold cause of thankfulness and praise is here be enlarged O my soul sound forth the praises of thy Christ tell all the world of that warmest love of Christ which flowed with his blood out of all his wounds into thy spirit tune thy heart-strings aright and keep consort with all the Angels of Heaven and all his Saints on earth sing that Psalm of John the Divine Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in respect of his sufferings and death looking unto Jesus is effective of this objects have an attractive power that do assimulate or make like unto them I have read of a woman that by fixing the strength of her imagination upon a Blackamore on the wall she brought forth a black and swarthy child And no question but there is a kind of spiritual-imaginative of power in faith to be like to Christ by looking on Christ come then and let us look on Christ and conform to Christ in this respect In this particular I shall examine these Queries 1. Wherein we must conform 2. What is the cause of this conformity 3. What are the means of this conformity as on our parts For the first wherein we must conform I answer we must conform to Christ
who are of weak judgments and fiery Spirits look to this point least as now when they cannot answer a Separatist they turn Separatists and when they cannot answer an Antinomian they turn Antinomians and when they cannot answer a Seeker Quaker Blasphemer they turn to them so when they cannot answer the subtle Arguments of a Jew they should as easily turn Jews and deny Christ and the resurrection of Christ I mean not to enter into controversies only I shall declare from what heads Arguments of this nature may be drawn As 1. More generally from Gentiles grants Jews concessions typical instructions prophetical predictions 2. More specially from these clear demonstrations that circumstantially and substantially do prove this Christ to have risen again 1. the Arguments in general are 1. From Gentiles grants Pilate that condemned Christ testified in a letter to Tiberius Cesar that Christ was risen again Tertul. l. cont Gent. Egesippus de vito resur Christi and therefore Tiberius desired the Senate to admit Christ into the number of their gods which when they refused Tiberius was incensed and gave free leave to all Christians to profess Christianity And to the Gentiles Sybylla left written these very words He shall end the necessity of death by three dayes sleep and then returning from death to life again he shall be the first that shall shew the beginning of resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shall bring us life 2. For the Jews concessions Josephus Joseph Antiq. lib. 8. c. 9. the most learned amongst the latter Jews acknowledgeth that after Pilate had crucified him he appeared unto his followers the third day accordingly as the Prophets had foretold The Scribes and Pharisees being astonished with the sudden news of his rising again confirmed by the Souldiers whom they set to watch found no other way to resist the same but only by saying as all the Jews do unto this day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body whiles the Souldiers slept O strange if they were asleep how know they that his Disciples stole away his body and if they were not aslâ—ep how could a few weak fishers take away his body from a band of armed Souldiers 3. From typical instructions such was Adam's sleep Isaac's laying upon the Altar Joseph's imprisonment Sampson's breaking of the gates of Gaza David's escaping out of Saul's hands Jeremy's deliverance out of the pit the raising of the Shunamites child of the widow of Sarephtahs son of the Temple of Solomon of Jonah from the deep a thousand of these types might be produced which relate to this antitype Christ's resurrection 4. From prophetical predictions Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psal 16.10 Psal 16.10 After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up Hosea 6.2 Hos 6.2 he will raise us up i.e. his Son united to us or our flesh assumed by his Son Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal 2.7 Psal 2.7 Acts 13.33 I laid me down and slept I waked for the Lord sustained me Psal 3 5. Psal 3.5 Above all how plain was the prophesie of Christ himself that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and be raâ—sed again the third day Matth. 16.21 Mat 16.21 2. The special Arguments are exceeding many as 1. The Angels Assertion He is not here for he is risâ—n as he said come see the place where the Lord lay Matth. 28.6 Mat. 28 6. 2. The great Earthquake And behold there was a great earthquake for the Angel of the Lord â—â—cended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door Matth. 28.2 Mat. 28.2 3. The Apparitions of raised bodies and the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which sâ—â—pt arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Matth. 27.52 53. 〈◊〉 27.52 53 4. The sudden courage of the Apostles whereas a little before they durst not peep out of doors they presently after compassed the whole world and confidently taught that there was no other name given under heaven whereby men may be saved but the Name of â—esus Act. 4.12 Acts 4.12 5. The Martyrs sufferings even for this truth 6. The Adversaries confâ—ssions even to this truth 7. The Jews punishments even to this day for not believing this saving truth There is one Rabbi Samuel who six hundred years since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long captivity and extream misery And after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver Amos 2.6 Amos 2.6 the selling of Joseph he makes the first sin the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing and killing of God's Prophets the third sin and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin For the first They served four hundred years in Egypt for the second They wandred forty years in the wilderness for the third They were captives seventy years in Babylon and for the fourth They are held in pitiful captivity even till this day 8. The last Argument on which only I shall insist it is the several Apparitions that Christ made to others after his Resurrection some reckon them ten times others eleven times and others twelve times according to the number of his twelve Apostles Luke 24.34 1. He appeared unto Mary Magdalen apart As a woman was the first instrument of death so was a woman the first Messenger of Life she brought the first tidings of the Resurrection of Christ which is the surest Argument of man's Salvation 2. He appeared to all the Maries together as they returned homewards from the Sepulchre never any truly sought for Christ but with these women they were sure to find Christ 3 He appeared to Simon Peter alone he was the first among men to whom he appeared he first went into the Sepulchre and he first saw him that was raised thence he was called first and he confessed Christ to be the Son of God and therefore Christ appears first to him Mark 16.7 the Angel bade the women to tell his Disciples and Peter that is to say and Peter especially that he was risen and gone before them into Galilee 1 Cor. 15.5 Of this speaks Paul He was first seen of Cephas and then of the Twelve 4. He appeared to the two Disciples journeying towards Emmaus the name of the one was Cleophas and probable it is the other was
that was against us and nailed to his cross now he spoiled Principalities and Powers and carried the keys of death and hell at his own girdle now he came out of the grave as a mighty Conqueror saying as Dehorah did in her song O my soul Judg. 5.21 thou hast trodden down strength thou hast marched valiantly Again was it not to become the first-fruits of them that sleep Christ was the first that rose again from the grave to dye no more and by vertue of his resurrection as being the first-fruits all the Elect must rise again As in Adam all dye even so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 23. but every man in his own order Christ the first-fruits and afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming Some may wonder can the resurrection of one a thousand six hundred years ago be the cause of our rising yes as well as the death of one five thousand six hundred years ago is the cause of our dying Adam and Christ were two heads two roots two first-fruits either of them in reference to his company whom they stand for And now O my soul thou mayst say with Job I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19.25 and that I shall see him at the last day not with other but with these same eyes If Christ live then must I live also if he be risen then though after my skin worms shall destroy this body Ver. 26. yet in my flesh I shall see God Again was it not that he might be declared to be the Son of God was it not that he might be exalted and glorified this is the main reason of all the rest see thou to this O give him the glory and praise of his resurrection so muse and meditate and consider on this transaction as to ascribe to his Name all honour and glory what is he risen from the dead Hath God highly exalted him Psal 2.11 and given him a name above every name O then let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father 3. Consider of the manner of Christ's resurrection he rose as a common person in which respect his resurrection concerns us no less than himself We must not think that when Christ was raised it was no more than when Lazarus was raised his resurrection was the resurrection of us all it was in the name of us all and had in it a seed-like vertue to work the resurrection of us all O the priviledge of this communion with Christ's resurrection if I believe this truly I cannot but believe the resurrection of my body and the life everlasting why Jesus Christ hath led the dance and though of my self I have no right to Heaven or Glory yet in Christ my Head I have as good right to it as any heir apparent to his lands 2. He rose by his own power and so did none but Jesus Christ from the beginning of the world it was never heard that any dead man raised himself Indeed one Instance we have that a dead mans Corps should raise up another dead man They cast the man into the Sepulchre of Elisha 2 King 13.21 and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet dead Elisha raised up a dead man from the grave but dead Elisha could not raise up himself from the grave only Christ arose himself and at the same time he raised many others and here was the argument of his God-head John 10.18 I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it up again how should we but trust him with our life who is the resurrection and the life He that believeth in him though he were dead yet shall he live O my soul he was able to raise himself much more is he able to raise thee up only believe and live for ever 3. He rose with an earthquake O the power of Christ in every passage what ayled thee O earth to skip like a Ram was not the new Tomb hewn out of a Rock and was not a great stone rolled to the door of the Sepulchre the ground wherein he lay was firm and solid Job 18.4 Psal 99.1 and shall the rock be removed out of his place O yes the Lord reigneth and therefore the earth is moved Oh what a rocky heart is this of mine how much harder is it than that rock that moves not melts not at the presence of God at the presence of the God of Jacob the Sun they say danced that morning at Christ's resurrection the earth I am sure then trembled and yet my heart is no way affected with this news I feel it neither dance for joy nor tremble for fear O my soul be serious in this meditation consider what a posture wouldst thou have been in if thou hadst been with those Souldiers that watched Christ so reallize this Earthquake as if thou now felt it trembling under thee 4. An Angel ministred to him at his resurrection An Angel came Mat. 28.2 and rolled back the stone from the door and sate upon it Angels were the first Ministers of the Gospel the first Preachers of Christ's resurrection they preached more of Christ than all the Prophets did they first told the woman that Christ was risen Luke 24.6 and they did the first service to Christ at his resurrection in rolling the stone from the doors mouth O my soul that thou wert but like these blessed Angels how is it that they are so forward in God's Service and thou art so backward One day thou expectest to be equal with the Angels and art thou now so far behind them What! to be equal in Reward and behind them in Service Here 's a Meditation able to check thy Sloath and to spur thee on to thy Duty 5. Many of the Bodies of the Saints arose out of their Graves at His Resurrection as the Angels ministred so the Saints waited on Him In this Meditation trouble not thy self whether David Moses Job Abraham Isaac and Jacob were some of those Saints as some conjecture upon some Grounds It is a better Consideration to look upon them as the Fruit of Christ's Resurrection and as an Earnest of thy Own The Vertue of Christ's Resurrection appears immediately and it will more appear at the general Resurrection Day As sure as these Saints arose with Him and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many so sure shall thy Body rise again at the Last Day and if thou art but a Saint it shall go with Him into the Heavenly Jerusalem and appear before God and His Son Jesus Christ in Glory 6. Christ rose again with a true and perfect Body with an Incorruptible and Powerful Body with a Spiritual and an Agile Body with a Glorious Body brighter than the Sun in his utmost Glory On these things may the Soul expatiate O it is a worthy blessed
Christ was not David's Lord meerly as man but as God And 2. He sits at God's right hand as man too hereby his Humanity was exalted and a Power is give to Christ as man He hath given hiw power to execute judgment John 5.27 in as much as he is the Son of man In the administration of his Kingdom the man-hood of Christ doth concur as an Instrument working with his God-head Hence this Session at God's right hand is truly and properly attributed to Christ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not only to the one nature of Christ whether Divine or Humane Or it is attributed to Christ as Mediator in which respect he is called an high Priest Heb. 8.1 We have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens And in which respect he is called a Prince Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Now Christ is not a Priest and a Prince meerly according to one Nature whether Divine or Humane I deny not but Christ had a natural Kingdom with his Father as God before the foundation of the world but this Kingdom as God-man Christ had not before his Asension into heaven So then Christ sitteth at the right hand of God by a mediatory action which he executeth according to both natures the word working what pertaineth to the word and the flesh what appertaineth to the flesh Christ is Mediator as God and man and glory hath redounded unto him as God and man and living in this glory he ruleth and governeth his Church as God and man he ascended indeed into heaven in his humanity only but he sitteth at the right hand of God as Mediator in respect of both natures The Lutherans attribute this Session at God's right hand only to the humane nature of Christ they say this Session is nothing else but the elevating of his humane nature to the full and free use of some of the divine properties as of omnipotency omniscience omnipresence the ground of this error is that they suppose upon the union of the two Natures in Christ a real communication of the divine properties to follow so that the humane nature is made truly omnipotent omniscient omnipresent not by any confusion of properties nor yet by any bare communion and concourse of it to the same effect each nature working that which belongeth to it with commuion of the other for this we grant but by a real donation by which the divine properties so become the properties of the humane nature that the humane nature may work with them no less than the Divine nature it self for the perfecting of it self Against this opinion we have these Reasons 1. The union cannot cause the humane nature to partake more in the properties of the Divine than it causeth the Divine to partake in the properties of the humane 2. If a true and real communication did follow of the Divine Attributes it must needs be of all the Attributes as of eternity and infiniteness seeing these are the Divine Essence which can no way be divided 3. Infinite perfections cannot perfect finate natures no more than reasonable perfections can make perfect unreasonable creatures 4. To what end should created gifts serve which Christ hath received above measure if now more noble properties should enter and be conferred on Jesus Christ other reasons are given in but I willingly decline all controversal points SECT VI. Of the Reasons why Christ doth sit on God's right hand 4. WHy doth Christ sit at the right hand of God his Father in glory I answer 1. On Christ's part that He might receive power and dominion over all the creatures Math. 28.18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth he speaks of it as done because it was immediatly to be performed Christ at his Session received a power imperial over every Creature that he hath Power over the Angels is plain both by the reverence they do him and by their obedience towards him at the name of Jesus every knee must bow good Angels and evil Angels must yield signs of subjection to Jesus Christ if the Saints shall judge the Angels how much more shall Christ Oh what Power hath Christ himself this way and as for the excellencies on earth they all receive their power from Christ and are at his dispose it is Jesus Christ that is Crowned with Glory and Honour and all things are put under his feet Heb. 27.8 And hence it is that when the Apostle speaks of Christs session at the right hand of God he tells us he is far above all Principalities and Powers on earth Eph. 1.21 and Mights and Dominions in Heaven yea that Angels and Authorities 1 Pet. 3.22 and Powers are made subject unto him 2. On our part many reasons may be given As 1. That he might be the Head of his Church I mean not head in a large sense for one who is in any kind before another for so Christ is the head of Angels and God is the head of Christ and to this we have spoken before But in a strict sense for one that is in a near and communicative sort conjoyned with another as the Head is conjoyned with the Body and Members and so is Christ the head of his Church Look as the King hath a more intimate and amiable Superiority over the Queen then over any other of his Subjects so is it here in Christ our King he is more amiably tempered and more nearly affected to his Spouse and Queen the Church of God then to any other whomsoever And to this purpose he sits at Gods right hand that having now fulness of Grace and Glory in himself he might be ready to communicate the same to his Church who are as the members of his body that he might give them Grace here and Glory hereafter when he shall deliver up his Kingdom to his Father and be all in all 2. That he might be the object of divine adoration then especially it was said and accomplished Let all the Angels of God Worship him Heb. 1.6 and let all men Honour the Son as they Honour the Father After Christ's Session John 5 23. Stephen looken up into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and then he Worshipped and called upon God saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit It is true Acts 7.59 that the ground of this divine adoration is the Union of the two natures of Christ and therefore the Magi worshipped him at his Birth and as soon as ever he came into the World the Angels of God Worshipped him but because by his Session at God's right hand the Divine Nature was manifested Heb. 1.6 and the Humane Nature was exalted to that dignity and glory which it never had before therefore now especially and from this time was the honour and
dignity of Worship communicated to him as God and man And hence Divines usually make this one ingredient of Christ's sitting at the right hand of God viz. That Christ God and Man is the object of Divine adoration O it is a great thing and admirable and full of wonder that the man Christ should sit above at God 's right hand and be adored of Angels and Archangels Chry. Hom. 5 in Heb. Before this was the grace of Union conferred on Jesus and so he was adored before he suffered but after he had humbled himself and was made obedient unto death even to the death of the Cross then yea and therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a Name Phil. 2.8 9 10 11. which is above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father He was Lord before in that he is the Son of God but now he is Lord again by vertue of his humiliation and Session at God's right hand Trouble not your selves with their objection who say That if adoration be due to Christ as God and man that then the humane nature is to be adored the Person adored is man but the humanity it self is not the proper object of that Worship There is a difference betwixt the concrete and the abstract though the man Christ be God yet his manhood is not God and by consequence not to be worshipped with that worship which is properly and essentially Divine Certainly if adoration agree to the humanity of Christ then may his humanity help and save us but the humanity of Christ cannot help and Save us because omnis actio est suppositi whereas the humane nature of Christ is not suppositum a subsistance or personal being at all 3. That he might intercede for his Saints Heb. 8.1 2. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Summe we have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens and a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not men he is set on the right hand of God as an high Priest or Minister to intercede for us For as Christ is not entred into the holy Place made with hands which are the Figures of the true Heb. 9.24 but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us This appearing is an expression borrowed from the custome of human Courts for as in them when the Plaintiff or Defendant is called their Attorney appeareth in their names so when we are summoned by the justice of God to answer the complaints which it preferreth against us we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous John 2.1 Exod. 28.9 10 11 12. and he standeth up and appeareth for us or it may be this appearing hath a respect to the manner of high Priests in the time of the Law for as they used to go into the most holy place with the names of the Children of Israel written in precious stones for a remembrance of them that they might remember them to God in their Prayers so Jesus Christ being gone up to Heaven he there presents to his Father the Names of all his chosen and he remembers them to his Father in his Intercessions Certainly Christ is not gone to Heaven and advanced to the right hand of God only to live in eternal joy himself but also to procure happiness for his Saints it is to excellent purpose and to the great good of his Church that he sits at the right hand of his Father for thereby he governs and protects his people and he continually executes the Office of his Priesthood presenting himself and the sacrifice of himself and the infinite merit of that sacrifice before the eyes of his Father in their behalf 4. That true Believers may assuredly hope by vertue of Christs Session to sit themselves in the Kingdom of Glory Heb. 1.5 It is true that Christ and only Christ hath his seat at the right hand of God to which of the Saints or of the Angels did he ever say sit thou at my right hand It is a prerogative above all Creatures and yet there is something near it given to the Saints Rev. 3.21 for him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also am set down with my Father in his Throne There is a proportion though with an inequality we must sit on Christ's Throne as he sits on his Fathers Throne Christ only sits at the right hand of God but the Saints are to sit at the right hand of Christ Psal 45.9 and so the Psalmist speaks upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in Gold of Ophir It is enough to greaten the Spirits of Saints how should they tread on earth and contemn the World when they consider that one day they shall judg the World 1 Cor. 6.2 do you not know that the Saints shall judg the World nay 2 Tim. 2.12 when they consider that one day they shall reign with Christ if ye suffer with him ye shall reign with him Christ sitting in Heaven is a very Figure of us Christ's person is the great model and first draught of all that shall be done to his Body the Saints therefore he is said to be the Captain of our Salvation that leads us on he is said to be our fore-runner into Glory he breaks the clouds first he appears first before God he sits down first and is glorified first and then we follow Christ wears the Crown in Heaven as our King and he is united and marryed to God as our proxy And yet there is another ground of hope not only shall we sit with Christ in Glory but even now do we sit with him in Glory Christ is not only gone to heaven to prepare a place for us but he sits in Heaven in our room and God looks on him as the great picture of all that body whereof he is Head and he delights himself in seeing them all Glorified as in his Son To this purpose the Saints are said to sit down with Christ at very present Ephes 2.6 he hath made us to sit together with him in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ in our nature is now exalted this is that admirable thing which carried up Chrysostom into an extasie that the same nature of which God said dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return should now sit in Heaven at God's right hand but not only the human nature but Christ in person sits there as a common person in our stead he is in his Throne and we sit with him in supercelestial places O what structures and pillars of hope are raised up here 5. That he might defend
Students beat out their brains on lesser subjects what endeavours have there been to dive into the secrets of Nature what volumes have been written of Physicks Metaphysicks Mathematicks and is not this subject Christ is not every of these subjects Christ's Ascension Christ's Mission of the holy spirit of more worth and value and benefit than all those come study that piece of the Bible wherein these are written there is not a line or expression of Christ in the Scripture but 't is matter enough for a whole Age to comment on thou needest not to leave old principles for new discoveries for in these very particulars thou mightest find successive sweetness unto all eternity SET II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on this work of our salvation for us in these particulars We must not only study to know these things but we must meditate on them till they come down from our heads to our hearts Meditation is the poize that sets all the wheels within a going it were to small purpose to bid us desire hope believe love joy c. if first we did not meditate in meditation it is that the understanding works that the will is inclined to follow that devotion is refreshed that saith is encreased hope established love kindled and therefore begin here O my soul it is a due consideration that gives both life and light and motion to thy actings in all proceedings And to take them in order 1. Consider of Christ's Ascension into Heaven Methinks souls should put themselves into the condition of the Disciples Acts 1.10 When they looked stedfastly towards heaven as Christ went up What shall he ascend and shall not we in our contemplations follow after him gaze O my soul on this wonderfull object thou needest not fear any check from God or Angel so that thy contemplation be spiritual and divine No sooner had Christ finished his work of redemption here on earth but on the Mount called Olivet he assembles with his Disciples where having given them commands he begins to mount and being a little lifted up into the Ayr presently a Cloud receives him into her lap Herein is a clear demonstration of his Godhead Clouds are usually in Scriptures put for the House or Temple or Receptacle of God himself How often is it said that The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud Exod. 16.10 19 9.-24.16.-34.5 Isa 19.1 psal 104.3 And that He came to Moses in a thick cloud and that he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud and that the Lord descended in the cloud Is not the Cloud God's own Chariot Behold the Lord rideth on a swift cloud and O Lord my God thou art very great saith David great indeed and he proves it thus Who maketh the clouds his Chariot Jesus Christ in his ascension to heaven enters by the way into a cloud this was his chariot led by thousands and ten thousands of his Angels psal 68.17 18 The Chariots of God are Twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them in Sinai in the holy place thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men Some are of opinion that not only thousands of Angels led this chariot but that many of the Saints which slept and rose with Christ at his resurrection now ascended with him and compassed about this glorious cloud English Annotations on Eph. 4.8 whence they give this for the meaning of the text that when he went up through the ayr and ascended up on high he led captivity captive that is he led a certain number of captives namely the Saints that were long held in captivity of death whose bodies arose at Christ's resurrection and now they accompanied Christ at his triumphant march into heaven However he was attended be not too curious O my soul in this the bright cloud that covered his body discovered his Divinity and therefore here is thy duty to look stedfastly towards heaven and to worship him in his ascension up into heaven O admire and adore But stay not thy contemplation in the cloud he ascends yet higher through the Ayr and through the Clouds and through that sphere or element of fire and through those Orbs of the Moon Mercury Mars of the Sun Jupiter Venus Saturn and through that azure Heaven of fixed Stars and through that first moveable and through those condence and solid waters of the Christaline Heaven nor stood he still till he came to those doors and gates of the Empyreal Heaven called The heaven of heavens in all this triumphant glorious march some tell us of an heavenly harmony made by those Choristers of Heaven Cypr. in Serm. Ascens Psal 4.5 the blessed Angels Some going before and some going after they chant his praises and sing Hallelujahs and that is the meaning of the Psalmist God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet In this meditation pass not over thy duty which immediately follows Sing praises unto God Ver. 6. Psal 68. â— sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises Sing unto God sing praises to his Name extol him that rideth upon the heavens by the Name â—ah and rejoyce before him Thou hast great cause O my soul to praise him and to rejoyce before him especially if thou considerest that Christ ascended not for himself but also for thee it is God in our nature that is gone up to heaven whatever God acted on the person of Christ that he did as in thy behalf and he means to act the very same on thee Christ as a publick person ascended up to heaven thy interest is in this very ascension of Jesus Christ and therefore dost thou consider thy Head as soaring up O let every Member praise his Name let thy Tongue called thy glory glory in this and trumpet out his praises that in respect of thy duty it may be verified Christ is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet And yet stay not by the way but consider further Christ being now arrived at Heavens doors those heavenly spirits that accompanied him began to say Psal 24.7 Lift up your heads O ye gates even lift up your selves yea everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in to whom some of the Angels that were within not ignorant of his person but admiring his majesty and Glory said again Who is the King of Glory and then they answered The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel Ver. 8. Rev. 21.12 and thereupon those Twelve gates of the Holy City of new Jerusalem opened of their own accord and Jesus Christ with all his ministring Spirits entred in O my soul how should this heighten thy joy and enlarge thy comforts in that Christ is now received up into glory every sight of Christ is glorious and in every sight thou shouldst wait
for these things will help our conversation to be heaven-ward Certainly the day is a coming when Jesus Christ shall come with his Angels in his glory and then shall the bodies of the Saints shine gloriously before the Face of God and Jesus Christ O the wonder of this day the glory of Christ shall then darken the glory of the Sun and Moon and Stars but my body shall not be darkned but rather it shall shine like the glorious body of Christ Jesus if a candle should be raised to have so much lustre and beauty as if you should put it into the midst of the Sun yet it would shine you would think it a strange kind of light surely it shall be so with the bodies of Saints for though they are put into the midst of the glory of God and of his Son Jesus Christ yet their bodies shall shine in beauty and lustre there now did we believe this and wait for it every day How would it change us how would it work us to an heavenly conversation I have a diseased and lumpish body and my body hinders me in every duty of God's worship but within a while Christ will come in his glory and then he will make my body like unto his glorious body so that I shall be able to look upon the face of God and to be exercised in holy duties to all eternity without weariness without intermission I have many things here that trouble my mind and spirit and that hinder me in my converse with Heaven and heavenly things but within a while Christ will appear with his mighty Angels to be admitted of his Saints and then shall I sit as an assessor on the Throne with Jesus Christ to judge the world and then shall I live for ever with him to be where he is and enjoy all he has yea all that he hath purchased for me by his blood oh let me wait for this let me look for it every day God hath but a little work for me here on Earth and when that is done this shall be my condition Christians if but every day we would work these things on our souls it would be a mighty help to make our conversations heavenly conversations 5. Let us observe the drawings and movings and mindings of the Spirit and follow his dictates to this purpose Christ ascended and sate down at God's right hand and sent down the holy Spirit that the Holy Ghost being come down he might do his office in bringing on our souls towards salvation and if ever our souls get above this earth and get acquainted with this living in Heaven it is the Spirit of God that must be at the chariot of Elijah yea the very living principle by which we must move and ascend O then take heed of quenching its motions or resisting its workings take we heed of grieving our guide or of knocking off the chariot-wheels of this holy Spirit We little think how much the life of graces and the happiness of our souls doth depend upon our ready and cordial obedience to the Spirit of God when he forbids us our own known transgressions and we will go on when he tells us which is the way and which is not and we will not regard no wonder if we are strangers to an heavenly conversation if we will not follow the Spirit while it would draw us to Christ how should it lead us to Heaven or bring our hearts into the presence of God O learn we this lesson and let not only the motions of our bodies but also the very thoughts of our hearts be at the Spirits beck do we not sometimes feel a strong impulsion to retire from the world and to draw near to God O let us not despise or disobey but take we the offer and hoise up our sail while we may have this blessed gale if we cherish these motions and hearken to the Spirit O what a supernatural help should we find to this heavenly mindedness or heavenly conversation Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his Ascension Session and Mission of his holy Spirit our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his Intercession which he makes and will make to his Father on our behalf till his second coming to judgment LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Intercession Book IX Part VI. CHAP. I. Heb. 3.1 Rom. 8.34 Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who also maketh intercession for us SECT I. What the Intercession of Christ is WE have spoken of Christ's entrance into Heaven and of his immediate actings after his entrance there that transaction which yet remains and will remain untill his coming again it is his Intercession for the Saints In these actings of Christ in Heaven if we will follow him we must go from glory to glory no sooner come we out of one room of glory but presently we step into another as glorious as that before one would think enough had been said already of the glory of Christ and of our glory in Christ who would not willingly sit down under the shadow of this happiness and go no further but yet this is not all so thick and fast doth the glory of Christ break in upon us that no sooner out of one but presently we are led into the bosom of another Oh what a blessed thing is it to be viewing Christ and to be looking up to Jesus Christ Saints might do nothing else if they pleased but ravish their hearts with the diversity of heavenly light and comfort which breaks forth from the bosom of Jesus Christ Here is now another mystery as great and amazing as the former which springs out before our eyes in this transaction of Christ's Intercession And in prosecution of this as in the former I shall first lay down the object and secondly direct you how to look upon it The object is Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in his Intercession in ordering of which I shall examine these particulars 1. What is this intercession of Christ 2. According to what nature doth Christ intercede 3. To whom is Christ's intercession directed 4. For whom is the intercession made 5. What agreement betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the High-Priests of old 6. Wâ—â—t is the difference betwixt Christ's intercession and the intercessions of those High-Priests 7. What are the properties of this intercession of Jesus Christ 8. Wherein more especially doth the intercessions of Christ consist 9. How powerful and prevailing are Christ's intercessions with God his Father 10. What are the reasons of this great transaction of Christ's intercession for his people 1. What is the intercession of Christ some define it thus Christ's intercession is that part of his Priestly office whereby Christ is Advocate and intreater of God the Father for the faithful I shall give it thus Christ's intercession is his gracious will fervently
not to his Father Thou art sure to speed well O my soul for God is the Father of thy Intercessor If I had a suit to some Majesty and the Prince would but mediate I might hope to speed Christ is Gods's Prince as I may call him and in respect of us The first-begotten of many brethren And herein is thy rejoycing that the party offended is Christ's own Father and in Christ thy Father fathers cannot be cruel to their own dear children What man amongst you whom if his son ask bread he will give him a stone or if he ask a fish Mat. 7.9 10 11. will he give him a Serpent If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him and especially if Christ himself ask 4. Consider of the persons for whom Christ intercedes it is for all the Elect and in particular for thee O the sweet of this one meditation if I knew that my name were written in Heaven should I not as Christ bids me rejoyce in this Luke 10.20 oh but what is it to have my name written in the chief part of Heaven what is it to have my name written in the breast-plate of Jesus Christ come read O my soul is it not thus written Isaac or Jacob I have prayed and I am praying for thee that thy faith fail not sure I am that I would not part with my hope in the priviledge for all the wide world the very consideration of this makes me to esteem of all the world as dross and dogs-meat And oh that ever the world or flesh or devil should steal this meditation out of my heart Oh that ever I should forget that Christs is gone to Heaven that he is entred into the Holy of Holies and that he carries my name into the presence of God the Father I speak the same to thee that readest if thou art a Believer there is no doubt of it but Christ is speaking a good word to his Father in thy behalf he can no more forget thee in his intercessions than a Mother with full breasts can forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Now if ever look up to Jesus yea look and never leave looking till thou spiest thy own name writ on his heart it is enough to fix thy soul and to make it dwell on Jesus Christ thus carrying thee on his shoulders and bearing thee on his breast plate for a memorial unto his Father in Heaven 5. Consider of the agreement and difference betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old they did both intercede but Christ's intercessions are ever in a meer transcendent eminent way Christ is more faithful in his office and place than ever high Priest was Christ is more compassionate and pitiful than ever high Priest was and hence it is that he hath the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5.11 one of many commiserations all is mercy and love and sweetness and more than motherly affection that comes from Christ O my soul why shouldst thou say with Israel Isa 40.27 My way is hidden from the Lord and my judgment is passed over by my God as if Jesus Christ had left thee out of the count of his people and out of the roll of those whom he is to look after No no he is a faithful and merciful High Priest far above all the high Priests of the Old Testament and if they were so careful not to leave out of their breast-plate one name of all the Twelve Tribes how much more careful is Christ not to leave out thy name in his intercession from this very Argument of Christ's compassion and Christ's faithfulness Heb. 3.1 2. the Apostle calls on us to consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who was faithful to him that appointed him above Aaron or Moses or any of the high Priests why consider him O my soul this Gospel-high Priest is well worthy indeed of thy consideration 6. Consider of the properties of Christ's intercession is it not heavenly and glorious effectual and prevailing and of all other the transactions of our salvation whilest this world lasts the most perfective and consummate O give me the intercessions of Christ above all the intercessions of Men or Angels I know the Saints on earth pray mutually one for another but they pray not in their own names or for their own merits but in the Name and for the merits of Jesus Christ and as for the Saints and Angels in Heaven Cypr. Epist Hier. lib. advers Vigil Cyprian and Jerome seem to grant that they pray for the state of the Church Militant but if so they do it only of charity as Brethren not of office as Mediators they do it only for the Church in general and not for any particular man or member of the Militant Church such an intercession as this so heavenly so effectual so perfective of our salvation so authoritative and publick found upon the satisfactory merits of the person interceding is proper only to Christ I would be glad of the prayers of all the Churches of Christ O that there were not a Saint on the earth but that I were by name in his morning and evening prayer whosoever thou art that readest I beseech thee pray for me but above all let me have a property in those prayers and intercessions that are proper only to Christ I am sure then I should never miscarry Christ's prayers are heavenly glorious and very effectual 7. Consider of the particulars wherein more especially Christ's intercession consists Is it not in the presenting of his person blood prayers interpellations is it not in the presenting of our persons performances pleas or answers to the accusations of Sathan men little think how busie our Mediator Sponsor Solicitor Advocate is now in Heaven for us men little think that Christ is appearing and his blood is crying and his prayers are ascending and his robe of righteousness is covering us and the iniquity of our holy things O my soul look up consider Jesus thy Saviour in these respects I am perswaded if thou didst but know if thou couldst but see what a deal of work Christ hath in hand and how he carries it on for thy salvation it would melt thy heart into very tears of joy Whilst Christ was on earth Luke 2.49 and his Mother had lost him he could then say Wist ye not that I must go about my Fathers business now Christ is in Heaven he is about the same business still all his employment in Heaven is to intercede for us that we may be saved very true there is much in this intercession of Jesus Christ it is a Tree of many branches and every branch fruitful so that if thou wouldst enlarge thy Meditation in this
the forehead of such favours I have a merciful and compassionate Mediator in heaven O I am much tempted sayes another that I cannot pray had I now the key of prayer I could then unlock the cabinet where all God's treasures lye and take out what I pleased but alas my prayers are dull and weak and dry and without spirit and life I cannot pray If so be humbled for it and yet know this that when thou canst not pray Christ then prayes for thee and he prayes that thou mayst pray And tell me hast thou no experience of this truth hath not sometimes thy spirit been enlarged in prayer hast thou not sometimes felt thy heart warmed or savingly affected hast thou not sometimes in prayer been lifted up above thy self and above the world conclude then My Intercessor above hath sent me this gift and Spirit it is not I but Christ's Intercession that by an admirable and secret operation hath given me the Spirit to help my infirmity these are the intercessions of the Spirit of Christ and they are the very Eccho of the intercessions of Christ in his own person O but I labour under such and such corruptions sayes another and the Devil is busie exceeding busie and he exceedingly prevails how am I overcome with these corruptions and with these and these sins It may be so and yet do not altogether despond for Jesus Christ is at God's right hand and there he sits till all his enemies be made his foot-stool and what are not thy sins his enemies O be of good comfort for Christ will prevail it is one piece of his prayer that he puts up for thee John 17.15 To keep thee from evil and surely he will either keep thee from it or keep thee in it that in the issue thou shalt have the victory Ver. 12. Isa 55 3. Those that thou gavest me I have kept saith Christ and none of them is lost if he undertake for thee thou art safe and sure His Covenant is everlasting even the sure mercies of David and therefore if yet thou dost not certainly thou shalt feel the vertue of Christ's intercession sin must be subdued hell-gates shall not prevail against thee he will not quench thy sparks until he bring forth judgment unto victory Oh but I am in a suffering condition sayes another and there is none that regards or takes pity on me all my friends have dealt treacherously with me among all my Lovers there is none to comfort me they have heard that I sigh and there is none to refresh me I stand for Christ but there is none stands by me I own him but there is none owns me Bleeding Christian bear up is not Christ's intercession a sufficient answer to this case alas thou wouldst be pitied for all thy weaknesses why know that compassion is natural to Jesus Christ he is a merciful high Priest and can be no other to thee God ordained him to officiate in such a Tabernacle as wherein thou dwellest he was in all things like unto thee sin only excepted it may be thou art in want and so was Christ he had no house thou art persecuted and so was Christ sin loads thee and so it did Christ A Christians condition needs compassion and Christ knows how much and it is his work continually to lay it open above O my Father thus and thus it is with the Militant Church not a Member in it but he is under sin and affliction see here the tears hearken to the sighs and groans and chatterings and mournings of my Doves below I present here their persons and performances and oh that they may find acceptance through my merit Some speak of Heavens Musick some tell us of Saints and Angels singing and warbling in lively notes the praises of Christ in Heaven and if any such thing be certainly it is ear-tickling heart-ravishing musick O the melody O the joy of Saints to hear such heavenly ayres with heavenly ears but be it as it will be of this I am confident that Heaven it self yields no such musick as is the intercession of Jesus Christ this if any thing in Heaven do it makes melody in the ears of God and of all celestial Spirits Saints or Angels And O my soul suppose thy self within the compass if now thou couldst but hear what thy Jesus is saying in thy behalf Is not this a brand newly pluck'd out of the fire was not this poor soul but the other day in a state of nature defiled with sin within a step of hell and did not I send my Spirit to recall him was not this precious blood shed for the redemption of him and what though sin stick and cleave to him to this day yet have I not given thee charge to take away his filthy garments from him and to cloath him with changes of rayment even with the shining robes of mine own righteousness O my Father let this soul live in thy sight O cast him not away for whom I have suffered and done all this I cannot rest satisfied without his society I am not right till he is with me in glory he is my darling my purchase my portion my delight and therefore let him be saved Is not this enough to cause thy very heart to leap in thy bosom Bonaventure fondly reports that Francis hearing an Angel a little while playing on an Harp he was so moved with extraordinary delight that he thought himself in another world O but suppose thou shouldst hear the voice of Jesus thy Intercessor thus pleading for thee wouldst thou not be cast into an extasie would not this fill thee with joyes unspeakable and full of glory Come realize this meditation certainly if thou art Christ's he is thus or in some other manner interceding for thee as sure as Christ is in Heaven he is pleading with his Father in Heaven on thy behalf O the joyes the joyes the joyes that I should now feel Tell me is it not a comfort for a poor beggar to be relieved at a rich man's door we are all beggars in regard of Heaven and Jesus Christ doth not only come forth and serve us but he takes us poor beggars by the hand and leads us in to his heavenly Father Oh what comfort is here SECT VIII Of praying to and praising of Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us pray and praise our Jesus in this respect 1. Let us pray or sue our interest in this intercession it is a question amongst the Schools whether we may conveniently pray to Jesus to pray to his Father in our behalf And thus far is granted that we may pray to Christ to make us partakers of his intercessions and to mingle our prayers with his prayers that they may find acceptance with God his Father 1 Cor. 11.6 But that we may use such a form as ora pro nobis O Christ pray for us it is looked upon as inconvenient in this respect 1. Because cause we have no
thine eternal election I have not lost a Saint in their several ages I produced them and gave them a being and in their times I remembred them and presented their conditions and necessities before thee and now I have not a Saint more in the Book of life there is not another name written to be born on earth and to what purpose should I now continue the world the Saints are they for whom I made the world the Saints are they that hold forth the light of my glory in the world the Saints are they for whom my eternal counsels before the world did work the Saints are they for whom I was content to shed my precious blood when I was in that world below and now their number is compleated I am resolved to unpin the fabrick of the world and take it down it stands but for their sakes and therefore now let the seventh Angel blow his trumpet that the mystery of God may be finished I swear by him that lives for ever Rev. 10.7 ver 6. that time shall be no longer Rev. 11.15 2. No sooner this said but the seventh Angel sounds This seventh Angel saith Pareus is the Arch-angel that proclaims Christ's coming with a great and mighty shout 1 Thes 4.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the trump of God The Lord shall descend with a shout but before he descend and I believe upon the very discovery of his coming down there will be a shout in Heaven for so it follows And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven Pareus in loc if we may believe Commentaries these are the voices of blessed souls and blessed souls and blessed Angels in heaven no sooner Christ bids the Angel sound q. d. summon those blessed souls that were slain for the Word of God Rev. 6.10 Rev. 22.20 and therefore cried How long Lord holy and true summon those blessed souls that have cryed so long Come Lord Jesus come quickly summon all souls and summon all Angels and bid them wait on me now I resolve to go down and to judge the world no sooner I say Christ bids the Angel sound but presently at the joy of this command all the voices in Heaven give up a shout why this is the long-look'd for day the day of perfecting the number of the Saints the day of joyning the souls and bodies of the Saints together the day of convening all the families both of Saints and Angels under one roof the day of bringing up the Bride unto the Lamb and of compleating the Marriage in its highest solemnity and therefore no wonder if at this news great voices and cryes such as are used by Mariners or gatherers of the vintage were made in Heaven O what an addition of joy is this to Heavens joy it self the spirits of the just and the blessed Angels that have lived together in heavens bliss had never such an adventitious joy as this before now they shout and sing a new and blessed Song Rev. 11.15 The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever We may call this Heavens triumph for the finishing of God's mystery Now is it that Christ will vindicate his Kingdom and overthrow the power of his enemies they had long set themselves against the Lord and against his anointed the Kings of the earth and the Rulers confederated they ruled all and as much as in them lay excluded Christ but now the Kingdoms of the world will return to Christ and he alone shall rule and thence the winged Choristers of Heaven chant forth this Anthem The Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of Christ Rev. 11.16 17 18. 3. After this shout The four and twenty Elders which sit before God on their seats fall upon their faces and worship God saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty wâ—â—â—h art and wast and are to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and h◠〈◊〉 â—â—ned and the nations were angry c. By these four and twenty Elders we unâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ll Gods Saints of the Old and New Testament comprehended under the tweâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—riarchs and twelve Apostles others would have them to be only those Saints 〈◊〉 Old Testament and therefore called Elders whosoever they are we find they are so glad at this news that Christ will now judge the world that presently they rise off their seats and fall on their faces and first they praise and then they pray 1. They praise God for taking to himself his own power Christ connived as it were till now at the power of his enemies Antichrist and not Christ seemed to rule and to sit in the Temple of God but now Christ is resolved to rule himself and to make all his enemies his footstool and therfore now We give thee thinks O Lord God Almighty Rev. 11.18 2. They pray Christ to go on to judgment 1. Because the nations were angry q. d. they have been angry long enough they have set themselves against Christ and against his Church and therefore now it is time to bridle their wrath and to break them with a rod of Iron O let thy wrath come 2. Because the time of judgment is now accomplished which God had decreed in his eternal counsel and which the Father had put in his own power This time was not for mortals to know Mortalibus ignotum caelestibus vero nunc revelatum a Christo Paraeus in loc Psalm 110.1 but now 't was revealed to these celestial spirits by Christ and therefore they beg Go on Lord Jesus reward now thy Servants Prophets Saints and destroy them which destroyed the earth 4. God the Father is well pleased with Christ's purpose of judging the world The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool I know these words were spoke to Christ at his ascension into Heaven yet that hinders not but that now God speaks them again to Christ Heb. 2.8 for as yet saith the Apostle we see not all things put under him and God's purpose was that Christ should rule until he had put all things in subjection under his feet Nay why not these words spoken now rather than before Christ indeed reigned as King ever since his Ascension but now more especially he is to manifest his Kingdom for now is he to judge among the heathen Psal 110.6 now is he to wound the heads of many countries now is he to overthrow Pope Turk and all his enemies and he alone with the Father and the Spirit is to reign in his Elect Saints and Angels Thus all agree that Christ in the latter dayes shall be fully honoured in his Kingly power hitherto Christ hath been much honoured in his Prophetical and Priestly office but not so much
in his Kingly but now he must be fully honoured in his Kingly office Rev. 11.15 now especially The Kingdoms of this world must become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and so he shall reign for ever and ever Certainly there is a difference betwixt Christ's reign before and his present reign at the day of judgment Christ hath a double Throne wherein he sits and reigns Rev. 3.21 To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne That Kingly rule that Christ hath from his ascension is upon his Fathers Throne but the Kingdom that Christ shall have at the day of judgment and ever after it is the joynt reign of him with the Father he shall have a Throne himself and the Saints shall sit with him in his own Throne And now saith the Father John 5.22 Sit thou at my right hand q. d. sit on thy own Throne by me go on to judge the Nations I will not judge them but only in thee and by thee Lo I have committed all judgment unto the Son and do thou judge them until thou hast rewarded thy friends and made thine enemies thy footstool Mark He hath committed all judgment unto the Son the Father gives the Son a Commission wherein is written as it were these words My Son now is the time or season which I had put in my own power and my pleasure is 2 Pet. 3.10 13. that all the world shall be set on fire these heavens under thee shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up and I will have new heavens and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousness go too then put on thy robes appear in thy glory empty thiâ— heaven of all those glorious spirits that are therein and let them wait on thee to thy judgment seat go pass thy doom upon all flesh and send reprobates to hell and bring up hither all thy Saints that they may live with thee and here behold thy glory for ever and ever Lo here is thy commission be gone and return no more hither until it be accomplished Christians I cannot but wonder at this joy and exultation in Heaven Vse and that we have so little or none of this on earth we say with cold lips and frozen hearts Thy Kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven but if our prayers were real and fervent if we could but imitate those heavenly Citizens what longings would be in our hearts after Christ's coming how should we rejoyce at the very thoughts hereof Christ comforting his Disciples in respect hereof he speaks these words Luke 21.28 When these things begin to come to pass then look up said he and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh The fulness of our redemption is a ground of consolation all the spirits above are sensible of this God and Christ and the Angels and Saints rejoyce Rev. 12.19 Ver. 20. and again rejoyce The Spirit and the Bride say come and Christ himself saith Surely I come quickly O let us say Amen to it Even so come Lord Jesus SECT II. Of Christ coming to judgment 2. FOr Christ's coming to judgment no sooner Christ prepared and all in readiness but down he descends from his Imperial throne to the Judgment-seat In this passage I shall observe these particulars 1. He descends with his Train He comes with his Royal Attendants out of Heaven This is the glory of a Prince that hath so many Nobles waiting on him and this is the glory of Jesus Christ that when he comes to judge the world he shall have his Saints and Angels the glory of the creation to be his Attendants in that work Behold the Lord comes with mighty Angels 2 Thes 1.7 Jude 14. Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgment upon all Certainly a numberless number shall wait upon him Daniel tells us of a thousand thousand that this day Minister unto Christ A thousand thousands ministred unto him Dan. 7.10 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him or if Heaven have more I believe Heaven will empty it self of all the Saints and all the Angels not one Spirit whether Saint or Angel shall stay behind when Christ descends Matth. 25.31 The Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him Oh what a glorious day will this be if one Sun make the morning Sky so glorious what a bright shining and glorious morning will that be when so many thousands of Suns shall shine over all our heads the glorious Body of our Christ surpassing them all in splendor and glory here 's a new Heaven of Sun and Stars such as this nether-world never saw Lo yond the Sun of righteousness with all his Morning-stars singing and shouting for joy Heaven now empties it self of all its created Citizens and cleaves asunder to make way for Christ and all his Train Matth. 24.29 2. In his descent through the Heavens he shakes the Heavens And the powers of the heaven shall be shaken The whole frame of Heaven most strong and immutable in its being and motion or the mighty bodies thereof most mighty in their substance lastingness motion and operation shall be shaken I know by the powers of heaven some mean the Angels who at this wonderful descent of Christ shall admire and move but I rather think the Heavens themselves are meant hereby whose very nature shall be moved Job 26.11 and shaken at that day At his nod the pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished As yet they are Subject to vanity and therefore 't is no wonder if at the coming of Christ they tremble and are moved In this moving or shaking the Evangelists adds that the glorious lights of Heaven shall be altered Matth. 24.29 The Sun shall be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light Adventum Christi tantam lucem allaturam ut ea solis lunae splendor obscuretur Aretius in loc Certissimum autem diem judicii magna majestate sore ut rede sol luna dicantur obscurandi Aretius in loc Psal 50.3 and the Stars shall fall Many interpretations are given of this I am not for Allegories but rather conceive these things are real the very coming of Christ shall bring with him such a light that the splendor of the Sun and Moon shall be obscured this is most certain saith Aretius that both Sun and Moon shall really be darkened at that day it is the glory of his Majesty that will dazle those Candles 3. As he passes through the Elementary world a fire doth usher him Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very
of earth other and wept so will this discovery in the appearances of Christ bring a sweet confusion upon the Spirits of Saints then shall a Saint fall at the feet of his Saviour and weeping say O my Jesus thou art my Father Brother Husband Self while there were other things I loved other things besides thy self but alas they are everlastingly gone and have left me alone yet now thou ownest me O my Jesus thou breakest my heart oh I cannot but weep out tears of love and tears of joy at this appearing O welcome welcome sweet Jesus into these clouds oh welcome welcome sweet Jesus into this neather world In these Clouds I must leave our Saviour for a while and the rather because I believe he will descend no lower onely before I pass one word of Use to all his Saints Vse You see him still upon his old design though the world now end yet hitherto there is no end of his great transaction his first coming and his second coming is to save your souls his first coming was to purchase his second to give you the possession of Salvation What are you not glad of this Gospel-news that Christ will come at last from this Empyreal Throne to his judgment-seat to give you the possession of salvation is not the promise of his coming comfortable is it not comfortable to believe in him and to hope for him why muse then what comfort will it be to see his person with all his glorious train coming for you Psal 50.1 2 3 4. The Mighty God the Lord hath spoken and called the Earth from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof out of Zion the perfection of beauty hath God shined our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him he shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he might judge his people It is indeed a most terrible day unto the wicked but oh how sweet and pleasant and comfortable to his Saints Christians do we not long to have Christ's Spirit come into our souls with life do we not droop while Christ is absent from our souls are not the feet of them beautiful that bring glad tydings of peace and of salvation by Jesus Christ Oh then what will it be to see the King not in his Embassadors but in his own person coming for us to fetch us into Heaven if we have but a dear friend returned from some far Country how do all run out to meet him with joy Oh saith the child my father is come saith the wife my husband is come and shall not we when we see our Father our Husband our Head our Saviour returning with great glory and glorious Majesty cry out he is come he is come shall not we at the first view of him in his clouds cry out O yonder is he whose blood redeemed us whose Spirit cleansed us whose prayers prevailed for us whose Law did govern us yonder comes he in whom we trusted and now we see he hath not deceived our trust yonder is he for whom we waited long and now we see we have not waited in vain I verily believe thus it will be with us one day we shall have comfort then oh let us comfort our selves with these words and ever and anon cry Come Lord Jesu come quickly Cant. 8.14 make hast my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the Mountain of spices SECT III. Of Christ's summoning of the Elect to come under judgment 3. FOR Christ's summons of the Elect to come under judgment no sooner is he in the clouds his Throne of judicature but there he stands and thence he sends his holy Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Mat. 24.31 and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the heaven to another Christ's summons are effectual if he will have the elect to meet him they must come to this purpose he sends his Angels and they return with his Saints back again to the judgement-seat In the carrying on of this affair we shall discuss these particulars 1. His mission of the Angels 2. The manner of the mission 3. The resurrection of the world 4. The collection of the Saints wherein 1. whence 2. whither they are gathered 1. For Christ's mission of his Angels he shall send his Angels This was their office from their first creation they were still sent of God this way and that way and indeed herein is one difference betwixt Christ and the Angels he was to fit on God's right hand but they were sent abroad to Minister to the Saints and people of God Heb. 1.13 14. To which of the Angels said he at any time sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Now according to their office Christ puts them upon imployment at this day q. d. O my Angels you that wait upon me that excel in strength Psal 103.20 Psal 50.5 that do my commandments and hearken to the voice of my Word go your wayes now into all the four winds of the World gather all my Saints together unto me those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice search into all the dusts of the earth and leave not behind one dust that belongs unto any Saint search into the bottom of the Sea see what becomes of those drowned bodies of my dear ones if either worms have eaten those in graves or fishes have devoured them in the deep why now restore them am not I as able to recover them as I was to create them is it not as easie for me to raise the dead as to make Heaven and Earth and all of nothing go then and gather together all those dusts and let every dust be brought home to its own proper body and compact those dusts as soft as they are into solid bones and prophesie upon those bones and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord thus saith the Lord behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live Ezek. 37.4 5 6. and I will lay sinews upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and ye shall live and ye shall know that I am the Lord why this is my will and pleasure and therefore be gone O my Angels do your office what have not I commanded you 2. The Mission or commission or dismission given the Angels swift messengers of his will fall on the execution and to that purpose immediately they sound the Trumpet so it follows And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Here is the manner of their mission they go and as they go they give a shout what this shout is or how it is
made is a curious question and sets many wits on work in this Scripture it is set out by the sound of a Trumpet * Anselmus in elucidario Suarez tuba ex aere Doctor Slater who faith I see not but we may take it properly c. Cornelius a lapide Mat. 24.31 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 Now some would have it to be a material Trumpet because the Scriptures frequently call it a Trumpet He shall send his Angels with the sound of a Trumpet saith Christ and in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump we shall be changed saith Paul for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised And the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God But whether this Trumpet shall be of Silver or of Brass or of the Air or of the Cloud and Meteors whereon Christ rides they cannot agree †Piscator Estius Aretius alii fere omnes others more probably look upon this Trumpet as nothing else but a metaphor or a sound formed in the Air like the sound of a Trumpet A voice it is without all controversie and metaphorically it may be called a trumpet both from the clearness and greatness of the sound so loud shall it be that 't will pierce into the ears of the dead in their graves It will shake the world rend the rocks break the mountains dissolve the bonds of Death Cui omnia obediunt elementa petras scindit inferos aperit c. Chrysost in 1 Cor. 15. burst down the gates of Hell and unite all spirits to their own Bodies An horrible terrible voice shall it be But how should Angels who are spirits make a voice by a collision of the Air which the Angels can move at their pleasure and who can tell say some but there may be some new-created instrument trumpet-like adapted for the Angels at the sides of which by a force and collision of the air this great shout may be to convene all the World or who knows say others but that the Lord Jesus may fill the Angels even as trumpets are filled with a loud blast and that through them this loud blast shall come rushing like a mighty wind upon the dead Saints and so awaken their bodies out of the dust we all know this was usual in all the Jews solemnities to convene the people by the found of a trumpet And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Make thee two trumpets of silver Numb 10 1 2 3 9. That thou mayest use them for the calling of the Assembly And when thou shalt blow them all the Assembly shall assemble themselves and if ye go to war then ye shall blow an alarme with the Trumpets and in the same way say they Christ now will convene all the World with the sound of a trumpet or with the sound of some such instrument of divine power and vertue whereby the dead shall be raised and their bodies and souls re-united Amidst all those Authors if I may deliver my opinion I suppose the Text that will clear all to us above all that is written is that of 1 Thessalonians 4.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 1 Thes 4.16 with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God Give me leave to insist on it that we may come up yet to a more full and perfect knowledg of this passage In these words is shewed or held forth the coming of Christ in three particulars with a shout with a voice and with a trumpet some think this to be one and the same set out in variety of expressions but I am of another mind It is agreed by most that the transactions at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai were a representation of the proceedings which shall be at the great day of Judgment now in that transaction we read of a three-fold voice The voice of God the voice of Thunder and the voice of a Trumpet Exod. 19.16 compared with Exod. 20.1 and accordingly we find the Apostle speaking of a three-fold voice Of the voice of Christ of the voice of Thunder and of the voice of a Trumpet 1. The Lord himself shall descend with a shout Arius Montanus and the vulgar translate it with a command Lyra and others think this to be the voice of Christ himself saying John 11.48 with a loud voice Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Thus Jesus cryed with a loud voice Lazarus come forth and with such a voice will he call on the dead at the last day Jâ—hn 5.25 So much Christ himself hath taught us The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live The hour is because by his voice he raised some at his first coming and the hour is coming because in the like manner he will raise up all men at the last day Marvel not at this saith Christ for the hour is coming John 5.28 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and they shall come forth As at the creation of the World he said Let there be light and there was light so at the dissolution of the World he will say Let the dead arise let the Sea give up the dead that are in it and Death and Hell deliver up the dead which are in them and it will be so 2. The Lord shall descend with the voice of the Archangel Two questions here 1. Who is this Archangel 2. What is this voice For the first some argue this Archangel to be Gabriel others Raphael others Michael The Jews have an antient tradition that there are seven principal Angels that minister before the throne of God and therefore called Archangels The Scriptures seem to speak much that way Revel 4.5 Rev. 5.6 Zach 4.10 Rev. 8.2 calling them seven Lamps of fire burning before the throne and seven hornes and seven eyes of the Lamb and the seven spirits of God sent forâ—h into all the earth and seven eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth and yet more plainly seven Angels that stand before God Now which of these Seven is the Archangel here spoken of is hard to determine only probable it is that all the Archangels and all the angels are hereby understood as comprehended under that one to which agrees Matth. 24.31 Mr. Aynsworth observes that when things are done by a multitude where one is chief that the action is frequently ascribed either to the multitude or to him that is chief indifferently as Jehoiadah brought forth the Kings Son and he put the Crown upon him 2 Kings 11.12 or they brought forth the Kings son and they put upon him the Crown 2 Chron. 23.11 so David offered burnt-offerings 2 Sam. 6.17 or they offered burnt offerings 1 Chron. 16.1 and
Saints why what bodies you will say have they I answer glorious bodies no sooner shall the bodies of the Saints arise but they shall exceed with singular qualities 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44 They were sown in corruption but they are raised in incorruption they were sown in dishonour but raised in glory they were sown in weakness but raised in power they were sowen natural bodies but raised spiritual bodies The Sun in its shinings doth but shadow forth the glory of their bodies and this will in some measure torment Reprobates to see the difference of their bodies and the bodies of the Saints O will they say yond are they whom we despised and now are they honoured See a world of Suns rising at once out of all parts of the Earth sometimes we lived on Earth and we never saw but one Sun rising in the East but lo millions of Suns on East and West and North and South O those are the glorious Saints of Heaven see with what swift and agile bodies they are preparing to fly into the Air to meet their Lord and Saviour there whilst in the mean time we rise with such heavy dull and deformed bodies that we cannot mount O what will become of us why this is the day of resurrection The Angels have been here to unseal our graves to roll away the stones and at their shout and sound of the Trumpet our scattered dusts have met together and lo now we stand upon the Earth 4. No sooner the Saints raised and their souls and Bodies re-united with excellent Majesty but then shall all the elect of God from first to last be gathered together if you ask whence and whither I answer 1. To the question whence from the four winds from one end of Heaven to another i.e. From all parts of the world from East and West and North and South from one end of Heaven to another a Vulgar term in regard of our sight for in it self Heaven is round and hath no end the meaning is that not one Saint in all the world from Adam to the last man shall be concealed or lye hid from the most hidden inward secret bosom of the earth all shall be gathered howsoever their dusts may be scattered into a thousand thousand parts yet the power of Christ shall restore all those dusts and bring them together into their several compacted bodies 2. To the question whether they shall be gathered Some say to the Valley of Jehoshaphat Joel 3.12 from that Text Let the Heathen be weakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge the Heathen round about but I believe this Text hath reference to a particular judgment of God upon Israels enemies which dwell round about Jerusalem and not to the general day of Judgment Others say Acts 1.11 12. to Mount-Olivet from that Text This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven then returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet But I believe this Text speaks onely of the manner how Christ shall come and not of the place to which he shall come Indeed 't is not probable that either the valley of Jehoshaphat or the Mount of Olivet can be sufficient places to contain all the men that ever were are and shall be and therefore if such a thing can be determined I should rather appeal to that Text 1 Thes 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them that are raised in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air When Christ was askt this very question where Lord whither shall the Saints be gathered where shall the general Judgment be he answers wheresoever the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together By the body Christ meant himself and by the Eagles Christ meant his Elect because their youth is renewed as the Eagles now the elect must resort to Christ wheresoever he is and the Apostle is express that Christ is in the air and in the clouds and therefore thither must the elect be gathered Luke 17.37 they shall be caught up by the holy Angels into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air Vse O my brethren what sights are these what changes wonders strange face of things will be this day how is it that we are not as frequent in the meditation of this Summons as Jerom was who as he thought heard dayly that sound Arise ye dead and come to Judgment methinks a sad and serious consideration of these passages might keep us close to Christ come try a little if in the hurryings of the day we are so distracted that we cannot reach the spiritual part of a meditation yet in the evening or morning when all is still or in the night-season when all is quiet then labour to prevent the day of doom so realize it as if then we saw Christ in the clouds sending his Angels on this errand Away and bring hither all the men and women in the world and in the first place gather my Saints together unto me Adam and Abraham those Fathers of the world and of the faithful let them see all their children and let all their children see them and bring them all to my Throne awaken the world let them who have slept in their graves some thousand of years be now rouzed and raised Imagine then as if we heard the Trumpet of God founded by the Angels of God and as the sound of it waxed louder and louder that we saw the Mountains skip like Rams and the little Hills like young Sheep That we saw all the graves in Churches or Church-yards in Fields or Plains or Seas fly open that we saw all the bodies of the dead beginning to stir and to stand upon their feet and presently the Angels coming and taking all the Saints upon their wings and so flying with them through the air till they came to the Throne and judgment-seat of Christ is it possible that such a meditation should pass without some tincture of it on our spirits if my ears shall hear that sound and if my eyes shall see these sights is it not time for me to lay these things to heart that I may be found faithful and well-doing as sure as I have this Book in my hand I must be one of those that shall hear the sound of the Trumpet and away I must from the mouth of my grave where ever I shall be buried to the cloud where Christ doth sit come then how would I rise as foul as a toad or as an Angel of God O my God! set this home on my soul O where 's my Lamp and where 's my oyl are all ready and am I ready furnished and prepared to meet the Lord in the Air Christians if we have any life in us let us act and realize this to the life O this would keep
us close to Christ and to the Banner of Christ who would not march under this Banner and adhere to him that but reads over these summons of souls at the last dreadful day SECT IV. Of Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day 4. FOR Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day no sooner are the Saints lifted up and set before the Judge but these things follow 1. They look and gaze and dart their beams and reflect their glories on each other Oh the communications Oh the darting of beams betwixt Christ and his Saints look as when two admirable persons two lovers meet together their eyes sparkle they look on as if they would look through one another So Christ and his Saints at first meeting they look on as if they would look through one another And such is the effect of these looks that they give a lustre to each other by their Looks Did not Moses face shine when he had been with God and shall not the faces of the elect glitter and shine when Christ also looks on them nor stays it there but as they shine by Christ so shall their shine reflect on Christ and give a glory to Christ and this I take it to be the meaning of the Apostle That when Christ shall come 2 Thes 1.10 he shall be glorified in his Saints not onely in himself but in his Saints also whose glory as it comes from him so it redounds also to him For of him and through him Rom. 11.36 and to him are all things 2. They admire at the infinite glory and beauty and dignity and excellency that is in Christ The glory they reflect on him is nothing to the glory that is in him Oh when these Stars the Saints shall but look upon Christ the Son of righteousness they exceedingly admire So the Apostle When he shall come 2 Thes 1.10 he shall be glorified in his Saints and he shall be admired in all them that believe All that believe shall break out into admiration of Jesus Christ they shall at the first sight observe such an excellency in Jesus Christ as that they shall be infinitely taken with it here we speak of Christ and in speaking we admire but how will they admire when they shall not onely speak or hear but see and behold him who is the Express image of God Heb. 1.3 and the brightness of his Fathers glory O the lustres that he casts forth each way is not his very body more sparkling than the Diamond before the Sun yea more than the Sun it self now shining at noon-day how should the Saints but wonder at this sight Oh there is more beauty and glory in Jesus Christ than ever their thoughts or imaginations could possibly reach there is more weight of sweetness joy and delight in Jesus Christ than either the seeing Eye or hearing Ear 1 Cor. 2.9 or the vast understanding Heart which can multiply and add still to any former thoughts can possibly conceive every soul will cry out then I believed to see much glory in Jesus Christ when ever I saw him I had some twilight or Moon-light glances of Christ on Earth but O blind I O narrow I that could never have faith opinion thought or imagination to fathom the thousand-thousand part of the worth and incomparable excellency that I now see in him Why this causeth admiration when we see more than ever we could expect the Saints shall then cry out and say I see more ten thousand times more than ever I expected I see all the beauty of God put forth in Christ I see the substantial reflection of the Fathers light and glory in Jesus Christ I see thousands of excellencies in Jesus Christ that never were revealed to me before This is the very nature of admiration it is eveâ— wondering or admiring at some new and strange thing the glory of Christ will then exceed all former apprehension O they admire to see the King in such a beauty they admire to see the Judge in such a glittering and glorious Robe of Majesty they admire and they cannot but admire 3. They adore and magnifie the grace and glory of Jesus Christ as it is said of the twenty four Elders that they fell down before him that sate on the Throne and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory Rev. 5.10 and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created So all the Saints now advanced to come up to Christ and to stand before the Throne they fall down before Christ and they worship him that lives for ever shouting and singing about Jesus Christ and setting out his glory Rev. 7.9 10 11 12. grace and goodness After this I beheld saith John and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindred and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb and cryed with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb and all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four Beasts and fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God saying Amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Saints and Angels will both give glory to Jesus Christ that day every elect man will then acknowledge here is Christ that shed his blood for me here is the Saviour that laid down his life for me here is the Sacrifice that gave himself a propitiation for me here is the Person that mediated and interceded and made peace for me here is the Redeemer that delivered and redeemed me from the wrath to come Rev. 19 7. and then they begin those Hallelujahs that never shall have end Hallelujah and again Hallelujah and Amen Hallelujah for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready 4. Christ welcomes them into his glorious presence if the Father could receive his Prodigal but repenting with hugs and kisses how will Christ now receive his Saints whâ—n they come as a Bride to the solemnization of the marriage his very heart springs as I may say at the sight of his Bride no sooner he sees her and salutes her but he welcomes her with such words as these O my love my dove my fair one come now and enjoy thy Husband Hos 2.19 20. many a thought I have had of thee before I made the world I spent my infinite eternal thoughts on thy salvation when the world began I gave thee a promise that I would betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgment in loving-kindness in mercy and in faithfulness It was I that for thy sake was incarnate and lived and died and rose again and ascended and since my
ascension that have been interceding for thee and making ready the Bride-chamber where thou and I must live for ever and ever and now I come higher into the clouds to meet thee more than half the way and my meaning is to take thee by the hand and to bring thee to my Father now do I take thee for my own O my Sister my Spouse thou art as dear to me as my own dear heart come see into my bosom see here Love written in the golden letters of free-grace come near for I must have thee with me and I will never more be so strange to thee as to this day sometimes thy sins have made a wall of partition between me and thee sometimes I withdrew and was gone and I hid my self beyond the curtains and for a time thou hast layen hid in the closset of the grave but now wee 'l never part more anon I will bring thee to my Father and I will say to him Father behold here my Spouse that I have married unto my self in the mean time welcome to thy Jesus I have purchased thee with my blood I have paid dear for thee and now I 'll wear thee as a Crown and ornament for ever 5. Christ sets them on his right hand Psal 45.9 Vpon thy right hand doth stand the Queen in Gold of Ophir This is the sign of Christ's love and respect to his Saints when he himself ascended up into Heaven then said the Father to him Son sit thou down at my right hand and no sooner the Saints are ascended up to Christ but he speaks the same to them Sit thou down at my right hand Christ entertains them as God the Father entertained him he at the right hand of God and they at the right hand of Christ And herein is set forth the great exaltation of the Saints as Christ being set at God's right hand God highly exalted him and gave him a Name above every Name so now are the Saints highly exalted by Jesus Christ now are they filled with unmatchable perfections now is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulness of perfection and fulness of honour and glory conferred upon them Vpon his right hand is set the Queen in gold of Opnir i e. in the best richest finest Gold the Lord now puts upon his Saints heavens glory he adorns them with all his ornaments fit for the marriage day and indeed here is the beginning of the solemnity of the marriage of the Lamb not but that the contract was before but the solemnity was reserved for this day and all the glory of this day is for nothing else but to set out the solemnity of the marriage As the Bridegroom on the day of nuptials comes forth in his glory and as the Bride on the marriage-day comes forth in her best array and as the servants and parents and friends and all appear on the marriage-day in as much glory as they can so Christ on this day comes forth in his glory with all his Angels in their glory and the Saints the Lambs wife The Kings Daughter is all glorious without and within Psal 45.13 Though Stars may lose their shining when the Sun ariseth yet the glory of the Saints shall be no less because of the Sun of righteousness but rather more This is the day that Christ shall honour his Saints before all the world come will he say and sit you down at my right hand as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goats so will I separate you from wicked reprobates why you are they for whom the eternal councels of my Father did work you are they in whom I am now to be gloryfied for ever and therefore now will I exalt and advance and honour you sit here or stand here on my right hand O come come hither to the right hand of your Saviour 6. Hereupon Christ fully and actually joys in them and they in him he joys in them because now he sees of the travail of his soul he sees the issue of all his doings and sufferings hereon earth he sees now the great work he hath brought about to wit the glory of his Saints and he cannot but rejoyce therein As a man that makes a work that is very curious and glorious he takes abundance of delight to look upon it when God made the world he lok't upon what he made and he saw it was good and he delighted in it So Christ looks on his Saints and when he sees what he hath done in raising so poor a worm to so high an excellency he takes infinite delight therein now he sees that he hath attained his end in that great design and deepest councels that he had before the world he was then resolved to save a number of sinners and to bring them at last to himself that they might behold him in his glory and manifest the riches of his grace and to that purpose hath he still been carrying on the great work of souls salvation as we have heard and now that he sees it accomplished and fulfilled in them he must needs delight Ephes 3.17 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem fear thou not and to Zion let not thy hands be faint for the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save thee he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing And as he joys in them so they cannot but rejoyce in him as he delights in their glory so they cannot but delight in his glory are they not at Christ's right hand and is not that the place of pleasure the Paradise of God Psal 16.11 In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore The very setting them on Christ's right hand is the beginning of Heavens joy Jude 24. The presence of Christ makes joy exceeding joy saith Jude oh but what joy what fulness of joy what exceeding joy will it be to be set at Christ's right hand now begins that joy that never never shall have end O the complacency which the blessed feel in their seeing knowing loving and being beloved of Jesus Christ O my Christ let me have tribulation here let me here spend my days in sorrow and my breath in sighings punish me here cut me in pieces here burn me here so that I may there be placed at thy right hand for then joy will come and sorrow will vanish sorrow is but for a night this night of life but joy will come in the morning of the resurrection and it never shall be night again SECT V. Of Christ's sentencing his Saints 5. FOR Christ sentencing of his Saints no sooner are they set on his right hand but he prepares for sentence in the opening of which we must consider 1. The preparative 2. The sentence it self 1. The preparative before sentence will be some exploration or trial of the parties to be sentenced
as Rev. 20.12 1. The Book must be opened And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life It is spoken after the manner of men in whose publick Judgments are produced all the writings of the process informations depositions of witnesses to shew that all actions Aug. l. 20. de civitate Dei cap. 14. even the most secret ones shall then be rehearsed and made manifest Augustine thinks these Books to be the Books of the Old and New Testament wherein all things either to be done or omitted are prescribed by God and then shall these Books be opened Rom. 2.16 Orig. Com. ad Rom. 14. because according to them shall sentence be given In that day God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Origen and all most all with him think these Books to be the Books of our consciences which now are shut up and concealed from men but then shall be made manifest to all the world whatever these Books are we find here one Book opened which is proper to the Saints called the Book of Life This Book contains in it the names of all that are elected from first to last Thou John and thou Joseph and thou Judeth and thou Mary and thou Elizabeth c. you are all Book'd down there is the particularity and there is the certainty Your names are written in Heaven rejoyce in it Oh what is the joy of Saints when once they see this book opened and their names inrolled engraven there in letters of glory This very Book clears it to me that God from all eternity made choice of a particular and determinate number of Persons to save them and that none other can be saved but those who were so elected and whosoever are so elected Rev. 13.8 17.8 they shall not fall away All that worship the Beast their names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb from the foundation of the world On the other side Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh the same shall be written in the Book of life and I will not blot out his name but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels This is the day when that book of life shall be opened and Christ shall read the names of every elect person before God and Angels not that Christ needs a book or indeed reads a name but that his Election stands so firm that he knows every predestinated Saint as well as we know their names whom for our memories we commit unto our books and then he will so honour his Saints that he will publish their names to all the world 2. All the actions demeanours graces duties and it may be sins of Saints shall be produced and laid open the holy Ghost tells us that the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books It appears hence that not onely names but things were written and these things were produced and accordingly they were judged 1. As to evil things unfruitful works of darkness It is a question and I dare not be too positive in it viz. Whether the sins of God's People shall be manifest at the day of Judgment Some are for the negative because God in his promises speaks so expresly Isa 43.25 44.22.38.17 John 5.24 Of forgiving iniquities of remembring them no more of blotting them out of throwing them into the bottom of the Sea of casting them behind his back in which respect say they the Godly are said not to come into Judgement I suppose this last Text is ill urged for by Judgment is not meant discussion but condemnation and in our best Translations so it is rendred others are for the affirmative upon these grounds 1. Because many of the Godly and wicked men's sins are mingled together and there cannot be a Judgment of discussion preceding that of condemnation unless Godly men's sins are also produced 2. Because it is spoken generally in respect of all sorts that the Books were opened By which Books most understand the consciences of men and by the opening of those Books they understand the manifesting clearing and discovering of consciences at that general day 3. Because the Scriptures are express for the affirmative not but that those Texts are truths that sins are forgiven blotted out thrown away to be remembred no more i.e. as to condemnation but as for exploration or discussion the Lord speaks universally that of every idle word that men speak Mat. 12.36 they shall give an account thereof at the day of Judgment If the ballance weigh down on this side for my part I am not peremptory but shall easily submit to the spirits of the Prophets yet this manifestation shall not be for the shame grief trouble ignominy or confusion of the godly but only for the setting up of God's justice and that the goodness and free grace of God in Christ may be made more illustrious how will Christ then be exalted when all the world shall see his righteousness and goodness his truth and mercy now again meeting together and kissing each other it was so at his first coming and it will be so at his second coming then shall his justice and mercy his righteousness and goodness be manifested to all in that by his own merits notwithstanding their sins he will bring all his Saints to his heavenly glory 2. As for good things whether good works duties or graces there is no question but all these will be that day produced and laid open 1. We see Christ enumerating the good works of them on his right hand for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked Mat. 25.35 26. and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me in prison and ye came unto me It is true in this catalogue we find nothing of faith but all of works but certainly faith is included as the life of the Tree is included in the fruit not only nor principally are works here mentioned for the goodness of the work considered in it self but as these works did express our faith and love to Jesus Christ in that by saith we could see Christ in a poor beggar or prisoner and could love Jesus Christ in these poor better than all our worldly goods or liberties I do not wonder that Paul adviseth his Corinthians See that ye abound in this grace of contribution to the Saints 2 Cor. 8.7 Phil. 1.9 1 Thes 1.12 and that he prayeth his Philipians And this I pray that your love may abound yet more And that he prayeth for his Thessalonians now the Lord make you to increase and to abound in love one towards another and towards all men and that he praiseth God in their behalf We are bound to thank God always for you brethren as it is
meet 2 Thes 1.3 because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Christians if we did but consider that every duty done to God or Man that every penny given to a poor naked Saint that every cup of cold water given to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet should not lose his reward but this day should be reckoned up or drawn as it were into a full Inventory Imprimis For this piece of silver given such a day to such a one Item For this piece of bread such a day given to such a one c. Oh who would not abound in faith and love oh who would think any thing too much too good too dear to give to the needy members of Jesus Christ there is a charge laid upon Ministers to preach this Doctrine I beseech you give me leave to discharge my duty and to lay it and leave it at your doors where beggars usually stand 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to destribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life You to whom God hath given the riches of this world as you would meet Christ with comfort learn this lessen consider whether of these too reckonings will be more comfortable at that day Item So much given to such and such a religious use or so much given towards such a Feast and for the entertainment of such brave gallants so much to promote the Gospel or so much at Dice Cards Horse-races if one should tell you that either you must feed Christ in the poor or you must starve in Hell you must either cloath naked Christ in the poor or you must be laid naked to the fiery indignation of the Lord for ever oh what strictness would you call this but I recollect my self if Christ set you at his right hand he will then recount all your charities and all your labours of love to the Saints you that are poor and had nothing to give he will tell you of your good works if it was no more but at such a time you cast a mite into his Treasury and at such a time you carried a Letter for the Lord Jesus he will produce and commend these pittances of your poor charities to all the world 2. Nor only good works to man but all the Saints duties to God shall come in remembrance Oh then it will be known who served the Lord in spirit and truth and who did not then Men and Angels shall know such a day this poor Saints performed such a spiritual service every prayer in publick or private every tear shed for sin every sob or sigh every spiritual meditation or self-examination every glance ejaculation or looking unto Jesus shall be recounted by Jesus It was said of Cornelius Act. 10.4 that as well his prayers to God as his alms to men came up for a memorial before God certainly every duty in reference to the first table is booked in Heaven and at this day the book being opened it will appear that such a prayer thou madest such a morning and such an evening in thy closet Mat. 6.6 and now will Christ say Did not I tell thee that if thou wouldst pray to thy Father in secret then he that saw thee in secret should reward thee openly why now shalt thou have thy reward in a full view I will divulge here all thy secret duties to Men and Angels all the world shall know it thy wandrings I told them Psal 56.8 and thy tears I bottled them lo here are they not all written in my Book 3. Nor onely duties but graces shall now be rehearsed thy Knowledge Faith Hope Love spiritual Joy thy Fear Obedience Repentance Humility Meekness Patience Zeal Perseverance shall be fully discovered time was that in the incense of such a Prayer many sweet spices were burned together therein was Faith working by Love therein was Humility therein was Patience in submiting to God's will and pleasure therein was Hope of a gracious answer in God's due time therein was Holiness brokenness of Heart Cant. 5.1 and love to others c. Time was saith Christ that I gathered my myrr with my spices that I eat my honey-comb with my honey that I both accepted and delighted my self in thy heavenly graces I shall never forget how thou didst ravish my heart my sister my spouse how thou dost ravish my heart with one of thine eyes and with one chain of thy neck Why thus shall the Lord set forth and tell all the world what gracious children he had then will appear indeed the Meekness of Moses the Faith of Abraham the Patience of Job the Zeal of Phineas the Love of Magdalen and according to the measure of grace conferred upon thee Christ will set thee out We commend the graces of such and such Saints at their death but oh let Christ blazon me and his graces in me at the resurrection-day Thus far for the Exploration or trial before sentence Mat. 25.24 2. For the sentence it self then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Every word here is full of life and joy 1. Come this is the King's invitation of his Saints to his Court he had summoned them before to his presence and now they are about him he will not part with them they must come a little nearer yet they must go with him into his presence chamber the mansions are ready the Supper of the Lamb is ready and now he begins the solemn invitation to his bride Come 2. Come ye blessed of my Father Christ blessed them when he went up to Heaven Luke 6.20 21. and whiles yet on earth he pronounced them blessed many a time Blessed be ye poor Blessed are ye that hunger Blessâ—d are ye that weep but now he calls them the blessed of his Father not onely Christ but God the Father hath ever looked upon them as his children it is the Father's will as well as Christ's that they should be blessed Ye blessed of my Father Luke 12 32. Rom. 8.17 3. Inherit the Kingdom Christ had told them before It is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom but then they were only as servants or as children under age but now they are heirs Eph. 4.13 Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ and now they are come to full age To the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and therefore they must have the inheritance in possession they must all be Kings this very word speaks them Kings and makes them Kings it is the solemn coronation of the Saints It is the anointing the setting of the Crown upon
the heads of the Saints Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness 1 Tim. 4.8 which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not for me onely but unto them also that love his appearing 4. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you as Tophet was prepared of old so was this Kingdom prepared of old it was the first creature that ever God made In the beginning God created heaven Gen. 1.1 his first work was to make Heaven for himself and his Saints to dwell in he prepared it for them and then he prepared them for it but why for them were not the Angels the first creatures that possessed it nay were they not created in it or together with it yes but yet the Angels are not properly the heirs sons members spouse of God and Christ as the Saints are the Angels are but ministring spirits and the servants of the Bride-groom but the Saints are the Bride her self heirs and co-heirs with Christ 5. Prepared for you from the foundation of the world This was the great design of God and Christ from all eternity before the foundations of the world and at the first stone laid and ever since they have been carrying on this mighty work it is not a business of yesterday onely No no the eternal thoughts of God have been upon it Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Oh what thoughts are in Saints when this sentence is propounded Oh what joy enters into them now they are to enter into their Masters joy methinks if it were possible that tears could be in a glorified estate the Saints should not see Christ reach out a Crown to set it on their heads but they should weep and hold away their heads but Christ will have it so This honour have all the Saints praise ye the Lord. SECT VI. Of Christ and the Saints judging the rest of the World 6. FOR Christ and his Saints judging the world no sooner shall the Saints be sentenced Justified Acquitted Anointed Crowned but presently they must be enthronized and sit with Jesus Christ to judge the world In the unfolding of this we may observe these particulars 1. As Christ is on a Throne so now must the Elect be set on Thrones Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne Thrones are for Kings and Judges and in that Christ hath now lifted up his Saints to this condition he will have them sit with him as so many Judges and as so many Kings or if it be more honour to have Thrones by themselves than to sit with Christ in his Throne John in his vision saw many Thrones And I saw Thrones and they sat upon them Rev. 20.4 and judgment was given unto them And Christ himself told his Apostles Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones Mat. 19.28 judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Hence some argue that amongst all the Saints the Apostles shall have their Thrones seated next to Christ howsoever the rest shall not be deprived of their Thrones for not onely twelve Thrones but twelve and twelve are set about the Throne of Christ And round about the Throne were four and twenty Thrones or seats and upon the Throne I saw four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed with white rayment Rev. 4.4 and they had on their heads crowns of Gold Onely four and twenty Thrones and four and twenty Elders are numbred but thereby is represented the whole Church of Christ It is plain enough that all the Saints shall appear plainly in the glory of Christ's Kingdom having Thrones with him in the Air during the time of his judgment 2. The goats on the left hand shall then be called to receive their doom No sooner the Saints enthronized but then shall Christ say Ye blessed Angels bring hither all those mine enemies who have said I shall not rule over them that I may bruise them with my Iron mace and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel O the fear and trembling that will now seize on reprobates do but see the case of prisoners when the Judge speaks that word Come Jaylors bring hither those prisoners to the bar But alas what comparison can we make to suite with the condition of these reprobates now shall their hearts fail them for fear now shall they seek death oh how gladly would they die again but shall not find it now shall they cry to rocks and mountains Fall on us Rev. 6.16 and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. As a prisoner in a desperate case had rather remain in his fordid stinking dungeon than coming into the open air for execution so the reprobates newly raised from the earth would fain return again into the earth glad to remain though not on the face of it with pleasure yet in the bowels of it with rottenness and solitude like malefactors pressing to death they cry out for more weight Hills cover us mountains fall upon us yet more weight more rocks more mountains hide us press us cover us dispatch us But all in vain the command is out Angels and Devils will force them to the bar for the Lord hath spoken it Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them Luke 19.27 bring them hither 3. They shall look on Christ and his Saints now sitting on their Thrones As prisoners that stand at the bar in the face of the Judge so must these reprobates look the Judge and all his Assessors in the very face 1. For the judge they shall look on him Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him We heard before that no sooner Christ in the clouds but they saw him then as the prisoners that see the Judge riding to his Judgment-seat Oh but now they shall see him in the Judgment-seat ready with sparkling eyes and thundring voice to speak their sentence Prisoners at the bar must not turn their backs on the Judge when he begins their sentence no more must reprobates In Majestate visuri sunt in humilitate videre noluerunt ut tanto distrinctius virtutem sentiant quanto contemptius infirmitatem deriserunt They must see him in Majesty whom they would not deigne to look upon in humility that by so much more they may feel his power by how much more they derided his weakness Oh the difference betwixt Christ's first coming in the flesh and in his second coming in the clouds then he came in poverty now in Majesty then in humility now in Glory then with poor-Shepherds now with mighty Angels then the contempt of Nations now the terror of the World then crowned with
long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee O take pity on thy Jesus for here I stand and wait at the door of thy heart and my head is filled with the dew and my looks with the drops of the night But Alas I resisted Christ and his Spirit O thou Judge and Saviour of all thine Elect I dealt churlishly with thee I tyred out thy patience I gave thee a repulse I told thee I had entertained other lovers and I would have none of thee I troad on councel I trampled thy precious blood under my feet and now I am expecting no other but to eat the fruit of my own way Now mayst thou accomplish thy Word because I set at naught all thy counsels and would none of thy reproof therefore thou mayst laugh at my calamity and mock now my fear cometh Lo here the confessions of sins Every thing now comes out for Christ will have it so as a preparative to his doom upon them 5. Christ and his Saints proceed to sentence First Mat. 25.41 Christ the chief Judge shall pronounce it depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone vengeance and wo to depart from that glorious presence of Christ were Hell enough but they must go with a curse nor only so but into fire and that must be everlasting and therein they shall have no other company or comforters but wicked devils and they insulting over them with hellish spight and stinging exprobations Give me leave a little to enlarge upon these words No sooner Christ begins the sentence Depart from me but methinks I imagine the reprobates to reply how depart from thee why O Christ thou art all things and therefore the loss of thee is the loss of all things thou art the greatest good and therefore to be deprived of thee is the greatest evil thou art the very Centre and perfect rest of the Soul and therefore to be pulled from thee is the most cruel separation we were made by thee and for thee O let us never be divided from thee we were made according to thy Image O never drive us from our glorious pattern Away away saith Christ ye have no part in me or in my merits never speak or intreat me any more but depart from me But secondly they may reply again if we must depart and depart from thee at least give us thy blessing before we go thou hast great store of blessings to give and we hope thou hast one yet in store for us we crave but a small thing but a blessing O it is a little one thou art our Father witness our Creation and it is a chief property of a Father to bless his children No depart from me ye Cursed in place of a blessing take the full curse of your Father you have been most prodigal and disobedient children you have followed him who had my first curse and now share ye curses with him cursed be you in your souls and in your bodies and in your thoughts and in your words and in the hainousness of your sins and in the grievousness of your punishment But thirdly if we must depart from thee and depart accursed yet appoint us some meet and convenient place to go into Create a fruitful piece of ground and let a goodly Sun daily shine upon it let it have sweet and wholsome air and be stored with fruits and flowers of all formes and colours give us the variety of Creatures for our uses O if we must go from thee the source and fountain of heavenly sweetness and afford us some plenty of earthly pleasures which may in some sort recompence our pain of loss speak but the word and such a place will presently start up and shew it self No depart from me ye cursed into fire though fire naturally burns not Spirits yet I will lift and elevate this fire above its nature you have sinned against nature and I will punish you above nature Fire alas that ever we were born who is able to rest in fire the very thought of it already burns us Of all the creatures appointed by God to be the Instruments of revenge fire and water have the least mercy But Fourthly if we must into fire let the sentence stand but for a very short time quench the fire quickly half an hour will seem a great while there No depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire it was kindle by my breath and it hath this property among other strange qualities that it is an unquenchable Fire as long as I am God it shall endure and ye broyl in it and when I cease to be happy then shall ye cease to be miserable O wo is us what to live in a fire perpetually without all end or hope of end Yea Fifthly allot us then some comforters whose smooth and gentle words may sweeten our torments or somewhat dull the most keen edge of our extremity O let the Angels recreate us with Songs and hymns of thee and of thy blessedness that we may hear that sweetly delivered which others fully enjoy No no depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels they shall be your comforters they that will triumph in your miseries they that are your deadly desperate enemies they that will tell you by what deceits and by-ways they led you from me and that will give you every hour new names of scorn and horrible reproach O sentence not to be endured and yet never never must it be reversed O my brethren I tremble at the very mentioning of this sentence and O what will they do on whom it must pass I beseech you before we pass from it will you ask but your souls this one question what can you dwell with everlasting fire if you can you may go on in sin but if you cannot why then stop here and repent of sin O now say if this be the effect of sin Lord pardon what is past and O give me grace that I may sin no more as sometimes I have done Methinks if a temptation should come again for ordinary entertainment you should fright it away with the remembrance of these powerful words depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 1 Cor. 6.2 2. The Saints shall judge the very self same judgment do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World that they as well as Christ shall judge the World is without controversie Dan. 7.22 And judgment was given to the Saints of the most high Ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Behold the Lord cometh with twelve thousand of his Saints Mat. 19.28 Jude 14.15 1 Cor. 6.5 to execute judgment upon all Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels not only shall we judge the World but the God of the World the Principalities
have commanded both us and them To which our Saviour replyes O deceitfull ignorant and stupid souls have you no better learned Christ than so am not I Head of the Church and can the Head be without Members Verily if you had loved relieved or done good to them you had done so to me but in being uncharitable to them you were no less unto me Never say you would have been thus and thus kind to Christ whiles you were unkind to Christians herein lies the deceitfulness of your hearts O they are deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know them but I the Lord search the heart I try the reins Jer. 17.9 10. even to give to every man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of my members ye did it not to me and therefore get you down into Hell and get you out of my presence take them Devils away with them Angels to the Devil and his Angels for ever These are the reasonings betwixt Christ and Reprobates and if so may we not imagine the like between Saints and Reprobates is there not the same reason of reasoning betwixt them and the inferior Judges as betwixt them and the supreme Judg for my part I cannot conceive but if we admit of such disputes betwixt Christ and them well may there be the like disputes arguings and reasonings betwixt Saints and them for they had on earth more familiarity converse and communion together some of them it may be were in near and dear relations to each other and now that one shall judge the other to eternal flames oh what passages will be betwixt them I shall instance in our nearest relations upon earth as of Masters and Servants Parents and Children Husbands and Wives Ministers and People no question but in these very relations some shall judge and others be judged our Saviour tells us There shall be two men in one bed the one shall be taken the other shall be left Luke 17.34 35 36. two women shall be grinding at one Mill the one shall be taken and the other left two men shall be together in the Field the one shall be taken aad the other left wherein the Lord seems to shew that God's Election doth extend it self to all sorts of persons and separates the most They shall not be saved by Families as in Noah's time but one frieâ—â— shall be taken by Christ into Heaven and another left for the Devil to carry into Hell Give me leave but to enlarge on those reasonings or discourses that we may imagine will be now betwixt these several relations As 1. Betwixt Master and Servant if the Master be the Saint and his Servant the Reprobate then shall the Master say O thou wicked Servant how many a time did I call on thee to duty how often have I told thee that I would have thee to be God's Servant as well as mine Colos 3.22 23 24 25. how often came that word to thy ears Servants obey your Masters in all things according to the flesh not with eye-service as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God how often was that precious Word laid close to thy conscience He that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he doth but in doing service to me as to the Lord thou shouldst of the Lord receive the reward of the Inheritance for in such service thou didst serve the Lord Christ but thou wouldst not be warned and now thou art justly condemned I say Amen to Christ's Sentence get thee down to Hell and there serve Satan and receive his wages in fire and Brimstone for ever Or if the Servant be the Saint and his Master the Reprobate then shall the Servant say O my quondam Master how many a time hast thou tyrannized it over me how didst thou use me or abuse me to serve thy own lusts and corruptions many a time I had strong desires to waite upon God in the use of publick and private Ordinances this morning and that evening I would have served my Master the Lord Jesus Christ but thou wouldst not spare me one hours time for prayer reading meditation c. I was ever faithful in thy service going to bed late and rising early Gen. 31.40 42. The drought consumed me by day and the frost by night and my sleep many a time departed from mine eyes surely God hath seen my affliction and the labour of my hands and now he hath rebuked thee dost thou not observe the admirable justice and righteousness of Christ in the sentences past on us both remember that thou in thy life-time received thy good things and I received evil things but now I am comforted and thou must be tormented I now serve a better Master after my weeks work with thee I shall keep a perpetual Sabbath with God but go thou with thy old companions from thy glorious Mansion to a loathsome dungeon from thy table of surfeit to a table of vengeance from thy faithfull Servants to afflicting Spirits from thy bed of doun to a bed of fire from soft linnen and silken coverings to wish a rock for thy pillow and a mountain for thy coverlet 2. Betwixt Parent and Child if the Parent be the Saint and the Child the Reprobate then shall the Parent say O thou wicked rebellious Son or O thou wicked rebellious and disobedient daughter it is I that begot thee or that brought thee forth that during thy Infancy laid thee in my bosom and dandled thee on my knee and carried thee in my arms and set thee as a seal upon my heart that during thy minority fed thee and apparelled thee and trained thee up in manners learning a particular calling and especially in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and then when I saw thy untowardness of spirit and thy breakings out into things forbidden by God and man O the admonitions reprehensions corrections O the many thousands of warnings that I gave thee of this day and of the wrath to come and yet thou wentest on in thy stubbornness till thou becamest many and many a time a grief of mind a bitterness of spirit unto me and then how often did I mind thee of thy duty Children obey your Parents in all things Honour thy Father and Mother Colos 3.20 Ephes 2.6 Prov. 30.27 which is the first Commandment with promise The eye that mockketh his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Vally shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it But alas all these expressions made no saving impression on thy hardned heart thy brow was Brass and thy sinew of Iron thou wast ever stiff-necked and now thou art justly damned I cannot but approve of Christ's judgment upon thee though thou camest out of my bowels yet now I have no pity no bowels of compassion towards thee the glory of God hath so
swallowed up all my natural affections that I cannot but laugh at thy calamity and joy in thy damnation I gave thee a body and God himself gave thee a Soul but now let the Devils have both and torment them in Hell be gone I shall never see thee again Or if the Child be the Saint and the Parent the Reprobate then shall the Child say O unworthy Parent unworthy of everlasting life I had my natural being from thee but my Spiritual being was from the Lord if I had followed thy steps I had been everlastingly damned did I not know thy ignorance thy unbelief thy worldliness thy covetousness thy pride thy malice thy lust thy lukewarmness thy impatiency thy discontentment thy vain-glory thy self-love didst not thou often check me for my forwardness and zeal and holiness in Religion didst not thou ask me what art thou wiser than the rest of the neighbour-hood are there not many gray hairs amongst us whose wisdom and experience thou hast not yet attained and canst not thou walk on soberly towards heaven and either do as the most or keep pace with the wisest what have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Christ oh I shall ever remember to the praise and glory of Christ what discouragements I had and yet how the Lord pluckt me as a fire-brand out of the fire and now hath the Lord set me on the Throne to judge thee according to thy demerits and therefore I joyn with him who is the Father of Spirits against the Father of my flesh depart go to the Gods whom thou hast served and see if they will help thee in the day of thy calamity 3. Betwixt Husband and Wife now if the Husband be the Saint and the Wife the Reprobate then shall the Husband say Thou art she whom I knew in the flesh whom I dearly affected with my heart and soul whom I nourished and cherished as my own body thou art she that was the Wife of my bosom as near and dear to me as my heart in my bosom thou wast my companion my yoke-fellow and my very delight but oh I could never rule thee lead thee guide thee in the way of life in the path that is called holy many a time have I wooed sued and sought to gain thy soul to that blessed Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ many a time have I prayed with thee and for thee many a time have I stirred thee up to hear the Word to waite upon God in the use of all means publick and private and instead of imbraces or yieldings to these blessed motions Prov. 19.13.27.15 I have met with contentions and jars as a continual dropping in a very rainy day but death hath dissolved that knot so that now I am no more thy Husband this is the day of separation and I shall no more consort with thee at the Resurrection there is no use of Marriage but now I am to live as an Angel in Heaven and because thou wouldst not draw with me in Christ's yoke now therefore adue for ever and ever we shall never more lye in one bed Mark 12.29 or sit at one board or walk in one Field or grind at one mill thou hast lost me and thou hast lost Jesus Christ two husbands in one day go now and take thy choice in Hell thou art free from us but thou shalt be bound there with indissoluble bonds to the Devill and his Angels Or if the Wife be the Saint and the Husband the Reprobate then shall the Wife say Thou art he who I looked upon as my second-self my head my governour my helper my husband for whom I was willing to forsake my native home Fathers house dear Relations of Father Mother Brother Sister and many comforts in that kind and I expected to have found new matter and a continued influence of comfort and delight in a marriage-state but oh the vexations of Spirit hadst thou not almost drawn me away from Jesus Christ was I not forced through many provocations sometimes to break out and say Surely a bloody husband art thou to me many a time I cryed out Exod. 4.25 O my Husband when wilt thou set up the rich and royal trade of grace in thy Family when wilt thou exercise prayer reading catechizing conference days of humiliation and other houshold holy duties oh for doing something to assure our souls of meeting together hereafter in heaven But alas it would not be and now see the effect here I stand like a Queen deck't and adorn'd with cloth of Gold with rayment of needle-work with the white robe of Christ's righteousness so that the King of Heaven greatly desires my beauty and my soul is this day marryed to Christ I acknowledge him and no other Husband in the world and for thee who refused to joyn with me in the worship of God now God hath refused thee fare well or fare ill for ever 4. Betwixt Minister and some of his people at least if the people be as so many Saints and the Minister the Reprobate then shall the people say O thou art the man that undertookest that high and mighty calling of feeding souls with the Word of life but now are thy sins written in thy fore-head for either thou run'st before thou wast sent or being sent thou hast been exceeding negligent in the gift that was in thee Didst not thou prophesie in Baal and cause God's people to erre didst thou not studiously and mainly seek for the Fleece not regarding respectively the Flock didst not thou strengthen the hands of evil-doers in Preaching peace peace to wicked men wa st thou not prophane and wicked and loose in thy life and by that means ledst many thousands to hell O thou bloody Butcher of Souls hadst thou been faithful in thy Ministry well might those damned Companions about thee have escaped the flames but they are doomed to death and now thou mayest hear their cries and grievous groans and complaints against thee this was the man set over us to give us the bread of Life but oh Christ did he not fail us did he not feed us with unprofitable matter fables conceits airy sentences rather than any thing tending to godly edifying which is in faith did not our tongues and the tongues of our Children stick to the roof of our mouths in calling and crying for bread for the bread of life and he would not pity us we gave him the tenths which thou appointed but he gave not us thy truth which thou didst command him why Lord Christ thou Judge of all the world didst not thou bid him feed feed feed didst thou not bid him feed the flock committed to his charge didst not bid him preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and notwithstanding all thy commands did he not miserably starve us instead of feeding us unto salvation hath he not starved many thousands of us to our
destruction O Christ thou that art the judge of Nations and the revenger of blood reward thou this man as he hath rewarded us he led us in the ways of wickedness and if it must be so let him be our ring-leader to Hell and upon his soul once buryed in Hell let this be the Epitaph the price of blood the price of blood if thou didst hear the blood of Abel being but one man forget not the blood of many now thou art judging the earth Why thus do the damned cry about thine ears and as for us say the Saints who were once thy people but now thy Judges we consent to their cry and to our Saviours doom go ye cursed into everlasting fire Men Brethren and Fathers I begin thus with the Ministers doom that you may see I would deal impartially and verily I believe it if our case come to this we of the Ministry shall be in a thousand times worse condition than any of you for besides the horrour due to the guilt of our own souls all the blood of those souls who have perished under our Ministry through our default will be laid to our charge little do you know or consider the burthen that lies upon us a burthen able to make the shoulders of the most mighty Angel in heaven to shrink under it Chrysostome was a glorious Saint Heb. 13.17 Hujus comminationis terror animum mihi concutit Chrys d yet casting his eye upon one only Text in the Bible Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account He professeth that the terror of this Text made his heart tremble Surely it is enough to make our hearts tremble if we seriously weigh our terrible doom in case that we should miscarry But now on the other side if the Minister be the Elect and sentenc'd to salvation and many of his people prove no better than Reprobates then shall the Minister say O miserable souls now you feel the truth of those comminations and curses which we opened and unfolded and discovered to you out of God's Word We dealt plainly with you 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. that the unrighteous should not inherit the Kingdom of God we advised you again and again be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor Theeves nor Covetuous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God and such were you and notwithstanding all our threats warnings intreatings beseechings thus ye lived and thus ye dyed and there is the issue Christ now hath doomed you to hell and here am I set on a throne to judge your souls for the Saints shall judge the World as well as Christ himself Oh what shall I do Oh my bowels my bowels here 's a case beyond all the former each of them according to their relations judge another but here 's a multitude not one or two or ten or an hundred but many hundreds or thousands according to the number of such and such Congregations where I have preached In Christ's reasonings with the wicked we have heard of his sayings and their answers and of his replications to their answers much said on both sides to and again I may suppose the like here O what shall I do says the Minister what doom shall I pass on this Assembly of Reprobates can I absolve them whom the righteous God hath condemned can I say come along with me to heaven now Christ hath said go ye cursed into hell and oh now shall I turn my speech from my wonted wooing beseeching intreating exhorting to a direct dooming damning condemning these souls to the pit of hell sometimes indeed I opened to these souls the armoury of God's wrath I thundred and lightned in their Congregations but my design was to fright them out of hell-fire and knowing the terrours of the Lord to have perswaded them towards heaven and heavenly things but now if I speak condemnation no sooner shall I speak but their souls will sink down to hell O miserable souls what shall I say or what can you say for your selves Then shall they answer Oh Sir do not you aggravate the torment by your condemnation the weight of Christ's doom is already unsupportable but will you adde more weight Why remember we are some of us it may be of your flesh and blood many a time you told us that you unfeignedly loved us and that we were dearer to you then all worldly enjoyments many a time you told us that you were willing to spend your self for us as the candle that burns it self to give others light you were pleased to bestow your prayers tears sighs groans for our souls your very Books and Writings were high expressions and abiding monuments of your dear love to us you weighed not your strength and spirits in comparison of our souls and shall this fair comical scean end in a dismal doleful bloody Tragedy would you do or suffer any thing to save us and will you now condemn us Oh forbear Ah no saith the Minister I cannot forbear all is true that you say I loved you dearly and I was willing to spend or to be spent for you but this aggravates the more ah my travail pains books writings words fears sighs groans are in one volume together and this volume has been opened this day and now is the question put what have you profited by all my words prayers tears sighs and groans is not all lost and are not your souls lost and now do you tell me of love what did I ever love you more then Christ loved you were the drops of my tears to be compared with the showers of his blood were my pains for you equal with the pains of his Cross and hath he not condemned you to hell and shall not I be like-minded to Jesus Christ Surely the Lord's will must be my will he hath already judged you and he will make me to judge you so far am I from pitying you that if he that formed you will shew you no mercy if he that saves me and all the Elect people of God will not save you can I pity you or save you or discent from Jesus in his sentence upon you speak no more of flesh and blood of labours of love Christ's Sentence must stand and as I am a member of Christ and a Minister of Christ I cannot but approve of it and so judge you to hell Why then say Reprobates we will curse thee and blaspheme Jesus Christ in hell for ever cursed be the time that ever we heard of Jesus Christ or that ever we knew thee or thy Ministry do not thy Sermons send us deeper into hell had it not been easier for us at this day of judgment if we had lived in Tyre and Sydon where the Gospel never was Preached didst not thou harden our hearts in such and such
now shall pass away with a great noise 11 12. that the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and that the earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up and doth he not infer thereupon in the eleventh and twelfth verses that all these things shall be dissolved and in the thirteenth verse that we are therefore to look for new heavens and a new earth dissolution mends not a fabrick but destroyes it how then should that which is dissolved be said to be reserved and let stand surely if Peter had thought of this refining only some words of his would have intimated so much The end of these creatures was for man's use and man using them no more to what end should they be reserved to say for a monument of what hath been or for the habitation of the Saints or for an out-let for the Saints descending sometimes from the highest heavens to solace themselves here below are but groundless surmises and deserve no answer at all 2. Positively by new heavens and a new earth is meant the heaven of heavens and place of glory Now these heavens are termed new not in regard of their new making but of our new taking possession of them for our new habitation and they are called heavens and earth because they come in stead of that heavenly covering and that earthly habitation which we now enjoy so that the Text may well bear this paraphrase we look for new heavens i.e. the supreme court of God's presence and a new earth i.e. a new habitation for us which shall infinitly exceed the commodities and happiness of these heavens and earth which we now enjoy thus John in his Revelations Rev. 21.1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea This new heaven and new earth is the place or habitation prepared for the blessed Saints and people of God A new heaven where the Moon is more glorious then our Son and the Sun as glorious as he that made it for it is he himself the Son of God the Son of righteousness the Son of Glory a new earth where all their waters are milk and all their milk honey where all their grass is corn and all their corn is Manna where all their glebe and clods of earth are Gold and all their Gold of innumerable Carats where all their minutes are ages and all their ages Eternity where every thing is every minute in the higest exaltation as good as can be Of these new heavens and this new earth I can never say enough not know enough till I come there to inhabit it Something only we shall discover of it in our next Sections for now are the Saints entred in with Jesus Christ Vse Only one word of use Christians what 's the matter that we are so busie about this world why look about you not one of these visible objects shall that day remain or have a being those houses wherein we dwell these Temples wherein we meet this Town this Country this Isle and the Seas and waters that surround it shall be all on fire and consume to nothing the Sea shall be no more and time shall be no more or if we look higher yond Sun and Moon and Star shall be no more that glorious Heaven which rolls over our heads shall be rolled together as a scrol Isa 34.4 Isa 51.6 and all the hoast shall fall down as a leaf falleth from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig-Tree the heavens shall vanish away like smoak saith Isaiah comminuentur in nihilum as Hierome reads it they shall be battered into nothing Alas alas what do we toyling all the day it may be all our life for a little of this little almost nothing earth you that have an hundred or two hundred or a thousand Acres if every acre were a Kingdom all will be at last burnt up so that none shall say here was Preston or here was London or here was England or here was Europe or here was the Globe of Earth on which men troad let others bâ—ast as they will of their inheritances but Lord give me an inheritance above all these visibles heaven shall remain when earth shall vanish that Empyreal Heaven those seats of Saints those mansions above prepared by Jesus Christ shall never end but for my riches lands possessions moveables goods real or personal they will end in smoak in nothing what wilt thou set thine eyes upon a thing that is not Prov. 23.5 upon this the primitive Christians took joyfully the spoiling of their goods it was but a loss a little before the time and they knew in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance O let this be our care here we have no abiding City but O let 's seek one to come even that one that will abide for ever and ever Amen SECT VIII Of Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father 8. FOR Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father no sooner is he in heaven but these things follow 1. He presents the Elect unto his Father of this the Apostle speaks you hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable Col. 1.12 22. and unproveable in his sight to this end Christ dyed that he might wash us and cleanse us by his blood and then that he might present us without spot unto his Father We may imagine Christ as going to his Father with his bride in his hand and saying thus O my Father here is my Church my Spouse my Queen here are the Saints concerning whom I covenanted with thee from Eternity concerning whom I went down from heaven and dyed on earth and ascending up I have interceded these many hundred years concerning whom I went down to Judge the World and having sentenced them to life eternal I now bring them in my hand to give them the possession of thy self These are they whom thou gavest me in the beginning of the World and now I restore them to thy self at the end of the World for they are thine Thus he presents them to his Father Indeed we read that Christ presents the Saints to himself as well as to his Father Eph. 5.25.27 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle but this I take it was done before when first a Soul believes it is contracted to Christ when the soul is sentenced to glory then is the solemnity and consummation of the Marriage then doth Christ present the Soul to himself and I know not but that the Ministers of Christ may have a part in this matter for I have espoused you to one husband said Paul to his Corinthians that I may present you as a chast Virgin to
the sprrits of all just men made perfect with God if there be enough in God for Angels whose capacities are greater than the Saints if there be enough in God for Jesus Christ whose capacity is yet far wider than the Angels if there be enough in God for God himself whose capacity is infinitely greater than them all then there must needs be satisfaction enough in God to any one poor soul Here is another thing wherein God is our all in all we shall enjoy him fully 3. It consists in our enjoying God solely Not as if there were nothing else in Heaven but onely God but that God in Heaven shall be all in all and instead of all it is God in Heaven that makes Heaven to be Heaven the Saints blessedness and Gods own blessedness doth consist in the enjoyment of God himself the Schoole-men tells us that we shall not properly enjoy any thing else but only God we may have some use of the Creatures but no fruition and therefore is God said to be all or as good as all And indeed what can we imagine to be in Heaven which is not eminently in God himself if it be greatness power and glory and victory and majesty all these are his if it be joy or love or peace or beauty or any thing amiable or desirable all these are in him Hence some take it to be David's meaning when he said he had none in Heaven but God Psal 73.25 that the sole enjoyment of God of God and of nothing else but God is the souls true happiness when it is at highest whom have I in heaven but thee whom why there are Angels there are Saints there are the spirits of just and perfect men are these nothing with David O yes all these are good but they are not able to satisfie a soul without God himself Whether God will make use of any Creatures for our service then or if any of what Creatures and what use is more than I yet know but to make up a full enjoyment there is required a gracious-glorious presence a sweet effusion or communication of that presence a just comprehension of the excellency of that communication a perfect love and a perfect rest in the love of whatsoever it is we comprehend now this is proper only to God it is he only that fills the whole capacity of the Soul it is he that so fills it that it can hold no more it is he only that is the object of love intended to the utmost and therefore he only is properly enjoyed he only is possessed with a full contentment as portion enough and as reward enough for the soul for ever But shall not the Saints have to do with something else in Heaven but only with God O yes I believe there shall be in Heaven a communion of the blessed Spirits in God an association of the Saints and Angels of God yet this shall not take away the sole enjoyment of God that he should not be their all in all For they shall not mind themselves or their own good as created things but altogether God they shall not love them or one another as for themselves but only for God here we love God for himself and it is a gracious love but there we shall love our selves for God and 't is a glorious love why this is to enjoy God solely in this respect he is all and in all whom have I in Heaven but thee Here 's a point enough to wean us to the World Alas the time is coming on a pace Vse that all this World shall be dissolved and then God shall be all in all here lies the Saints happiness to have God immediately God fully and God solely and will not Saints prepare themselves for such a condition as this you that have the World use it as if not 1 Cor. 7.31 for the fashion of this World passeth away and you that have but a little to do with the World improve that condition surely 't is your own fault if you have not more to do with God for you have little else to take up your hearts God may dwell and walk in your hearts without disturbance give me neither poverty nor riches saith the wise man upon that account a mean condition is more capable of happyness than that which over-loads us with outward things whilst others are casting up their accounts you may say with David how precious are thy thoughts unto me O God Psal 139.17 how great is the sum of them whil'st others are following their suits at courts of Justice you may follow all you have at a Throne of grace whil'st others are numbring their Flocks and Heards all your Arithmetick may be imployed to number your days whilst others cannot get out of the clutches of the world you may get into the embraces of your God why this is to prepare your selves for fuller and fuller enjoyments of God it is God will be all in all and this is the very top of Heavens happyness surely the less you have of the World now if you can but improve it the more you may have of Heavens happiness even upon earth for what is the happiness of Heaven but the sole enjoyment of God Christians if you feel any inclinations pantings breathings after this world give me leave to tell you that you will never be happy till you have lost all till you have no friends nor estates no enjoyment but God alone when all his done when this world is nothing when means shall cease both for bodies and souls and when Christ shall cease his Mediators office and the Son of man be Subject to his Father then God shall be all in all SECT X. Of Christs notwithstanding this being all in all to his blessed saved redeemed Saints to all Eternity 10. FOR Christ's being all in all to his blessed saved redeemed Saints to all Eternity we shall dilate in this Section Some may object if God be all in all what then becomes of Christ is not this derogatory to Jesus Christ I answer no in no wise for 1. It is not the Father personally and only but the Deity essentially and wholly that is our all in all when we say God is all in all we do not exclude the Son and holy Ghost for the whole God-head is all in all to all the Saints as well as the first person in the Trinity the Father is all and the Son is all and the holy Ghost is all and in that Christ is God and the Son of God we may say of Christ that he is all in all only the truth of this position is not from the humane nature but from the divine nature of Jesus Christ 2. It is not derogatory to Christ but rather it doth exceedingly advance Christ in the thoughts of all his Saints while it was necessary Christ veyled his Deity and when his work of Mediation is fully finished Christ then shall reveal his Deity
to his Saints more then ever before In this respect might I say if any person in the Trinity receives more honour than other Christ should have most Rev. 5.13 every Creature which is in heaven heard I say blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever not only unto God but particularly to the Lamb for ever and ever It is true that God only and God fully and God immediately is all in all but doth that hinder that Jesus Christ is not also only fully and immediately all in all see how the Scripture joyns them together Rev. 21.22 23. which plainly argues that they may consist I saw no Temple in the City for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it and the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Now then as I have spoken of God so that I may speak of Christ and conclude all with Christ I assert this Doctrine that the glory of Christ which the Saints shall behold in Christ to all eternity is their all in all In the discussion of which I shall open these particulars 1. What is the glory of Christ 2. How the Saints shall behold his glory 3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression that the beholding of Christ is our all in all 1. What is the glory of Christ I answer that the glory of Christ is either humane or divine 1. There is an humane glory which in time was more especially conferred upon his manhood 2. There is an essential or divine glory which before time and after time even from everlasting to everlasting issueth from the God-head I shall speak to both these that we may rather take a view of Christ in those glories as we are able wherein he will appear to his Saints as their all in all to all Eternity 1. For his humane glory that is either in regard of his Soul or body for his Soul Christ was from the first instant of his conception full of glory because even then he received grace not by measure as we do but as comprehension he had the clear vision of God even as the Angels of heaven which arose from that hypostatical union of two natures at his first conception It is true that by the special dispensation of God the fullness of thy accompanying that glory was with-held from Christ in the time of his passion and the redundancy of glory from his soul unto his body was totally deferred until the exaltation of Christ but Christ no sooner exalted and set on the right hand of God but immediately the interruption of joy in his soul and the interception of glory from his soul to his body was altogether removed Then it was that his soul was filled with all joy solace pleasure which could possibly flow from the sight of an object so infinitely pleasing as is the essence Majesty and glory of God And then it was that his body was replenished with as much glory as was proportionable unto the most vast capacity of any creature not only his soul but his body is a glorious Creature it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body of glory that is a most glorious body in it self And the spring of glory unto others ought not Christ to have suffered these things Luk. 24.26 and so to enter into his glory it is called his glory as if it were appropriated unto him as the most eminent subject and principal efficient of glory as if he had the monopoly of glory all the glory in heaven is in some sort his glory Surely Christ's manhood is exalted unto an higher degree of glory than the most glorious Saint or Angel ever was or shall be principalities powers mights and dominions fall short of his glory But some object that the mediatory office of Christ shall wholly cease and that the body and soul of Christ shall then be annihilated Indeed this was the opinion of Eutiches that the human nature of Christ should be changed or converted into the divine and thus he interprets that Scripture then shall the Son also himself be subject that God may be all in all what is this subjection saith he but a conversion of the Creature into the very substance 1 Cor. 15.28 or essence of the Creatour himself Vt ipsam subjectionem communicationem conversionem credat futuram creaturae in ipsam substantiam vel essentiam creatoris Aug. de Trinit lib. 1 c. 8. Aret. in loco Job 19.27 2 Thes 1.10 But we deny the interpretation the Son as man shall be subject and yet the manhood of Christ shall still remain it is true that his Mediatory office shall wholly cease but it follows not that therefore the manhood of Christ shall be converted or changed into the Deity there may be other reasons for the continuation of his human nature besides the execution of his Mediatory office As 1. That the lustre of his Deity might shine through his humanity and that thereby our very bodily eyes may come to see God as much as is possible for any creature to see him I shall see him saith Job not with other but with these same eyes 2. That the Saints may see how the power of an infinite God can conveigh the lustre of his Deity into a Creature upon this account I verily believe that Angels and Men will be continually viewing of Jesus Christ he shall come to be admired of the Saints he shall be admired as we have heard at the Judgment-day nor is that all but the Saints in heaven shall see with their eyes such excellencies in Christ as that they shall admire for ever I say for ever as much as they did at the first moment when they saw him here if we see any thing excellent we admire at first but after a while we do not so but in heaven there will be so much excellency in Christ that we shall admire as much to all Eternity as we did at the very first moment there will be no abatement in glory of our being taken with the sight of the glory in Jesus Christ 3. That Christ by his humanity may converse more freely and familiarly with his brethren in his Fathers house oh the intimacy that will be there betwixt Jesus Christ and his Christian Saints oh the mutual rejoycing and delight that will be there betwixt Jesus Christ and his dearest darlings as Christ from Eternity rejoyced in the habitable part of his Earth so will the Saints his habitable Earth to all eternity rejoyce in Christ the eye of the Saints in glory can never be off Christ as Mediator and God now the eye of the Saints in glory shall never be off Christ as God and Mediatour then Thus far of his human glory 2. For his Essential divine glory it is that
glory which Christ hath as God this he never laid aside but as the Sun in a dark gloomy day may not send forth its beams so Christ the Son of righteousness in the time of his abode upon earth except a little glimps only in his transfiguration did not send forth his glorious beams but hereafter the body or humanity of Christ shall not hinder the breaking forth of all his divine glory No sooner the Son subject and his Mediatory office discharged but Christ as God will manifestly put forth his more immediate glory to all his Saints Behold now we are the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him 1 John 3.2 for we shall see him as he is Mark it when he shall appear at and after the Resurrection day we shall see him as he is i.e. we shall see the very essential glory of Jesus Christ Quest But what is the essential glory of Christ I cannot answer it is a question not to be resolved by all the men in the World we know little of the glory of Saints how should we know any thing of the essential glory of Christ as God Answ The Scriptures say that God spake to Moses face to face yet God tells him thou canst not see my face and he favours him so far as to tell him the reason for there shall no man see my face and live Exod. 33.11 20. q. d. No man in this life he must first dye and be changed and then he shall have a peculiar revelation of the divine Majesty then he shall see him as he is but how that is I cannot tell come let us question this no further surely it is a mercy that this infinite glory is not discovered to us for as a weak eye is not able to behold the Sun or to see in it rota as the School-men speak in that wheel or circle wherein the Sun doth run but only in the beams of it no more can we see Christ as God in his glorious essence or in his essential glory but only in the beams thereof in his Word and Effects if now we know so little of spirits and spirituals oh then how little do we know of him who is the Father of Spirits I shall say no more therefore let us be content to be ignorant of these things till we enter into the confines of Eternity But whether shall this glorious Essence or Essential glory of Christ be more seen or manifested at or after the day of judgment then ever it was before Quest I answer I believe it will Answ Dr. Annesly Communion with God Some tell us of several periods wherein the glory of Christ is still more and more seen as 1. In this life we may see it in part thus David speaks of himself my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee to see thy power and thy glory as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary but this sight is very dim we see onely now as through a glass darkly The second period is betwixt our dissolution and resurrection 1 Cor. 13.12 and then shall we see the essential glory of Christ more immediately and fully our creeping apprehension of God shall then be elevated and our distance from God shall then be shortned and all the riddles of grace and of Jesus Christ shall then be opened This sight is so great that if a soul should come from heaven to declare it neither could that soul express it nor we understand it we read of Lazarus whose soul Christ returned into his body whom much people of the Jews came purposely to see that they might hear stories of the other World but not a word from him of any such matter Paul's rapture may satisfie with the reason of it he heard there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wordless words 2 Cor. 12.4 such words as could not possibly be repeated on earth and yet all this is but a second step to the full vision of Christ's essential glory The third period is at the Resurrection and during the time of the last Judgment and then we shall see more of his glory Camero affirms that 't is no curiosity to say that the Saints and Angels in heaven had a new glory by the exhibition of Christ the great mystery of the Incarnation being thereby better known and we may as safely affirm that the Saints shall have a new glory by new visions of the glory of Christ at the day of Resurrection they shall then see the solemnity of heavens glory carried on by Christ in his glorious actings and all that ever the soul saw before in being with Christ in Heaven till the Resurrection shall be swallowed up with the sight of this glory of Christ at the Resurrection-day The last period is after the Resurrection and that shall continue even to all Eternity now all the manifestations of Christ's glory before this are but as a few green ears rubb'd in our hands so that the full crop or the full harvest is yet behind But this is that which as we told you before we cannot tell though we had the tongues of men and Angels Thus far of the first point what is the glory of Christ 2. How shâ—ll the Saints behold this glory I answer As Christ hath a twofold glory so there is a twofold manner of beholding it i.e. ocular and mental 1. There is an ocular vision a sight of Christ with our very eyes Job 19.27 whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold him with these eyes in our heads we shall one day behold the human glory of Christ I doubt not we shall behold the beauty of Heaven the shining bodies of the Saints but above all our very eyes shall delightfully contemplate Christ's glorious body and indeed this shall drown all the other sights if any think that Christ's glorious body shall be too intensive and too extraordinary a brightness for our weak eyes let such consider that 1. The eye in heaven shall be glorified now glorification adds a singular excellency to the faculties it advanceth the faculties and raiseth them to an higher pitch of excellency glorification adds a greater capacity to the eye then ever it had before In this world there is a difference in our eyes and sight a man of a clear sight sees more things and more of every thing then a dark sight doth so a glorified eye sees more of things then our eyes now can see it shall be enlarged exceedingly to take in objects which now it cannot receive glorification adds strength to the faculties both internal and external so that the eye shall be able to look on the glory of Christ not with difficulty but with contentment in this World every sense we have is apt to be destroyed by excellent Objects and the more excellent and transcendent the object is the more it hurts
the creation of the World and what is Six thousand years to Eternity certainly the truth of Origen's opinion touching the existency of other worlds before this Orig. l. de Prin cipiis 3. c. 5. and the future succession of other Worlds after this will then be known If no worlds before this yet if God in Christ hath done such great things in only Six thousand years what he may do in the next Six thousand years and so in the next Six thousand years who now can tell we see not these things but the Saints in seeing the face of Christ shall see all things 4. They shall see Christ in all his glory ways counsels decrees executions transactions as working for their happiness Now this 〈◊〉 more then the former there 's a great deal of difference in seeing an object as excellent in it self and in seeing an object as conducing to my happiness As one that is a stranger and another is an heir rides over such a demesgne the stranger rides over it and takes delight to see the situation rivers trees and fruits but the heir looks upon it after another manner this saith he is the land for which my Father laid out so much and all to enrich me and all to bestow it on me as my Inheritance So the Saints admitted into the glorious sight of Christ they take not only a view of Christ of the Essential glory of Christ of the transactions of Christ things excellent in themselves but they see all these as to make them happy they say of Christ and of all his actings these are mine and for my happiness A stranger may look upon a King and see beauty and Majesty and glory and honour in him but the Queen looks upon the King and his beauty as her own so the Saints look upon the King of Heaven they see Christ and all in Christ as their own to make them happy for ever and ever 5. They shall see Christ as he is but what do we not see him now as he is oh no 1 John 3.2 we now see him not as he is indeed and truth but only as he is in hear-say and report we now see him only as he is shadowed out to us in the Gospel of peace and what is the Gospel but the pourtraiture of the King which he sent to another Land to be seen by his Bride so Kings and Queens on earth wooe one another whilst the Bride is on earth she never seeth him as he is in his best Sabbath-Royal Robe of immediate glory she seeth him rather by the second hand i.e. by messengers words mediation he rather sends his pourtraiture then comes himself but in heaven the Saints see him as he is they see Christ himself in his own very person they see the red and white in his own face they see all the inside of Christ and thousands of excellencies shall then be revealed that we see not now the mysteries of that glorious Ark shall then be opened his Incarnation his two Natures in one person his Suffering as Man and his sitting in the seat of God as God all these shall be seen 6. They shall see Christ without interruption and without intermission to all Eternity If once the eye be set on the face of Jesus Christ it will never be taken off again Some conceive this to be the reason why the Saints in heaven can never fall away because they shall have a continual view of Christ as God Surely to have but one glimpse of Christ in this respect though it were gone presently it were a great happiness beyond all that the World affords it was sometimes the desire of a Philosopher to see the nature of the Sun though he were to be burnt by it so if Christ should but grant us this happiness you shall come to see me but the sight of me will destroy you this were a desirable thing but to have such an excellent glorious sight as shall never end that Christ should not only pass by but stand still so as the soul shall never lose his sight O how glorious is this if a man do but look upon a delightful Object he is loath to have his eye drawn from it surely the eye of Saints shall be eternally opened to see the divine nature of Christ turn them which way they will they shall never turn aside the busied eyes of their understanding from off the Deity of Christ he fills heaven he is that fair Tree of life the branches whereof in all that huge and capacious borders of heaven have not room to grow in for the heaven of heavens cannot contain him O the wonders of heaven There is Abraham Moses Elias the Prophets the Apostles and the glorified Martyrs but the Saints have neither leisure nor hearts to feed themselves with beholding of creatures no no all the eyes of heaven which are a fair and numerous company are upon only only upon the Lord Jesus Christ the Father hath no leisure to look over his shoulder to his Son the Husband hath no leasure to look over his shoulder to his Wife Christ takes all eyes off from such created things surely 't is enough for the Saints and Angels in heaven to study Christ for all Eternity it shall be their only labour to read Christ to smel Christ to hear see and taste Christ to love joy and enjoy Jesus Christ for ever and ever Thus far of the second point how the Saints shall behold the glory of Christ 3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression that the beholding of Christ is our all in all I answer 1. It comprehends the immediate seeing and looking upon all that Majesty and Glory which Jesus Christ hath 2 Cor. 5.7 In this sense Paul took it when he complained we walk by faith not by sight q. d. on earth we have faith and in heaven we have sight it is some comfort that now I see Jesus Christ by faith but comparatively to that sight which the Saints have in heaven it is as no comfort at all alas I am not I cannot be satisfied so long as I am absent from the Lord I look upon my self as one from home And as a Prince in a strange Land sits down sadly because he hath not the sight of his Father so I am forced to complain O I cannot see my Lord I would fain behold him I am a stranger on earth a Pilgrim in this world I am not where I would be I am absent from him whom I most desire O I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ I walk with him here on earth by faith but to walk with him in the streets of heaven by sight is far better O I long I pant I breath I desire I think every day a year and every year an age till I be in heaven at home in my Father's arms that I may behold and see him and that immediately I say immediately in his glory This
is one way of beholding Christ it is an immediate sight 2. It comprehends the fruition and enjoyment of Christ in his glory Surely the Saints shall not be meer idle spectators of the glory of Christ but they shall enjoy him and be taken into fellowship with him it was said of Moses that he did see the Land of Canaan but he was not admitted into it it is otherwise with the Saints they shall see heaven and they shall enter into heaven come thou faithful servant and enter into thy Master's joy not only behold it but enter into it they must behold Christ and take possession of Christ and enjoy them as their own And thus the word to see or behold is often used in Scripture except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God i.e. he cannot enjoy it John 3.3 John 17.24 and Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory i.e. that they may enjoy my glory for Christ is not only glorious in himself but he is the spring of glory unto others now in this respect more especially is Christ our all in all he is all in himself and if we enjoy him he is all in all unto us To see a little into the state and condition of the Saints in glory in this enjoyment of Christ 1. They possess Christ as their own they go to Christ and they lay hold on him saying thou art mine It was indeed the language of the spouse whilst yet on earth I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine there 's a right and a propriety made over to her in her betrothing unto Christ but after the solemnity of the marriage is over the possession is then more full when once the spouse comes to behold Christ in his Kindgom she may then go boldly to her beloved and say all I see is my own I had thee in hope but now hope is vanished and actual enjoyment comes in place lo now I have thee in my eye and in my heart and in my hands and in my arms and as nothing shall separate us now for all our enemies are trod underfoot so never will I part with thee so far as to be out of my eye I will still behold thee and in beholding I will still possess thee for thou art mine own 2. They have the use of what they possess and this is an infinite good to the Saints they shall not only possess Christ but they shall have what use they will of Christ and of all in Christ they shall as they please make use of his humanity and of his Deity of his glorious Essence and of his glorious attributes O wonder that a Saint should come to Christ and say O my Lord thou art mine and my pleasure is to make use of thy wisdome power and mercy and that Christ should reply and say welcome sweet soul use me and all my glory as thou pleasest why thus it is even as a friend will say to his friend make use of all I have as your own so will Christ come to his Saints and bid them make use of all his riches glory excellency even as they will even to the utmost that they are capable of 3. They have the sweet and comfort of all they use and this makes up a compleat enjoyment In things below we may have the possession of them and the use thereof but if we have not the sweet and comfort of that we use we cannot be said truly or fully to enjoy those things what is the possession and use of meat and drink if we taste not the sweet of them Hence God is said to give us all things richly to enjoy no creature can give us richly to enjoy another one may give us such and such things wherein there may be comfort but he cannot give us comfort in such things it is only God that can give us that it is so with the Saints in glory God gives them all things yea Christ gives himself to them as all in all to enjoy him richly fully sweetly to the very uttermost This another way of beholding Christ it is a fruition or enjoyment of Christ wherein and whereby he is our all in all 4. It comprehends all the effects and consequents of such a beholding of his glory which are infinite delight and complacency in the will and all praise and thanksgiving in the mouthes of his Saints For the first It is disputed whether Eternal happiness be more in the acts of the understanding or if the Will and some conclude that it is principally in the will because that is an active appetite arid predominant in a man indeed the whole of a man oh the joy delight and complacency that will arise in the will upon the seeing and beholding of Jesus Christ they shall delight infinitely in the Essential glory of Christ and in the declared glory of Christ they shall delight in all that glory that is reflected upon Christ by all his creatures in heaven they shall delight in his presence and in his love Christ is all delights and how then should they but delight in Christ for the second as they delight in their wills so will their mouthes be filled with praises we read of Saints and Angels continually praising God in heaven there shall be none of our duties of mourning fasting praising humbling the acts of patience and justifying faith shall cease in heaven but the duty of praising and glorifying God will contiuue to all Eternity Methinks I see the Saints following the Lamb methinks I hear the familiar converses betwixt Christ and them as Christ opens himself to them so they to him first he begins Oh my dearest Saints you are they for whom before all time I decreed this heaven and now you see the execution of my decrees whiles the world stood I was still carrying on the work of your salvation either in doing or suffering or in successive works applying my doings and sufferings my active and passive obedience to your persons and now the World is at an end you see the end of my work and the end of your faith which is the Eternal Salvation of your souls Oh how I have my wish and you have your happiness here you and I will live together that I may for ever behold you and that you may for ever behold me and my glory which no sooner said but methinks I hear all those innumerable Saints in heaven to answer worthy is the Lamb that was slain Rev. 5.12 to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing and therefore unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Rev. 1.6 Amen Yea methinks I hear every creature in heaven say blessing honour glory and power be unto him
that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Amen Ver. 13. Why this is their continual work in heaven they have nothing else to do but with joy and gladness to sing forth the praises of God and of Christ and that his mercy endureth for ever And this likewise is comprehended under that notion of the Saints beholding of Christ which compleatly makes up the proposition asserted that Christ or the glory of Christ which the Saints shall behold to all eternity is their all in all Thus far we have propounded the object which is Jesus carrying on the Salvation of his Saints in his coming again to earth and taking them up with himself and his Angels into heaven our next work is to direct you how to look unto Jesus in this respect and then we have done CHAP. II. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his second coming WHAT looking is and what it contains we have often heard and that in these respects we may look on Jesus 1. Let us know Jesus carrying on the Saints Salvation in his second coming and taking them to Heaven Many glorious excellent things many precious passages many high and heavenly carriages are in this transaction Is it not of high concernment that he that now sits at God's right hand interceding for us should thence come again to judge the World and after judgment take up his Saints with him into glory can we read of the several actings of this general Assize and not desire to read on still nay is not all our reading mixt with admiration of every passage come wonder and sit and pause and stop at every word stay and wonder and adore that light which appears in any beam of truth and in the admiration of that truth which doth appear cast thy self down at the feet of Christ and cry out O the depth of Glory and Majesty and goodness and grace in thee O the riches of love that thou shouldst let out thy self in these several admirable dispensations come be exact in this study gather up all the crumbs and fillings of this gold the least beams of the glory of Christ especially as it shines and glitters at his second coming have so much light and love and splendour in them as that they will be very sweet to look upon them every piece or part of this knowledge will be of special use and worth yea the low and imperfect knowledge of this mystery is of infinite more value then the high and perfect knowledge of Ten thousand things besides And one thing O my soul let me tell thee it is possible for thee to attain a very sweet and satisfactory degree of this very knowledge And therefore study close run over again all that hath been spoken and dig yet deeper into that glorious mine content not thy self with a bare discovery of that gold-oare which is only upon the superficies or top of the mine but go so far as to find out the inward spiritual and experimental knowledge which the Saints by the light of the Spirit may come to attain O study Christ in his second coming to judgment SECT II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LET us consider Jesus carrying on this work of Salvation at his second coming It is not enough to know but we must meditate and seriously consider of it A meer student may know Christ and study Christ as he knows and studies other things he may keep together many notions concerning Christ and his coming to Judgment but he hath no impression of the holiness of Christ upon his heart and in this respect he is a stranger to Christ and all his actings alas he studies Christ but he doth not rightly seriously inwardly consider of Christ but he doth not look unto Jesus as one that looks to his pattern or as one that looks to his refuge hope and help true and spiritual consideration is a serious matter it s not some few and freeting thoughts that are the discharge of this work but thoughts resting dwelling fixing and staying upon Christ until they come to some profitable issue O it is another manner of business then many are aware of it 's a thinking with thought upon thought it 's a reiteration and multiplication of the thoughts of the mind upon the Subject propounded so the Scripture expresseth it I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought Eccles 2.11 12. and in that next verse I turned to see he looked upon and considered his works and he returned to behold them he thought on them before but now he returned to think he renewed his thoughts upon the matter and took a new view of them Indeed when the understanding works seriously and spiritually it will fetch things into sight and not only so but it will hold them there and fasten upon them Lam. 4.20 and when they are gone it will fetch them again my soul hath them still in remembrance my soul in remembring doth remember them and will not off till the end he obtained so a man eyes Christ till he have more of Christ more of his presence and more of his light and more of his favour and more of his image O let this be our work let us thus consider Jesus in reference to his second coming to judgment And that we may do it in Order 1. Consider Christ's preparing for judgment realize it as if thou sawest or heardst the same no sooner the time determined which God hath appointed but Christ commands make ready ye Angels to wait upon me and make ready ye glorious souls that now are with me it is the Fathers pleasure and it is my pleasure to go down into the neather World and to call before me all the men and women that ever lived in it there will I pass my doom upon all flesh and reward every one good and bad according to his works O what a shout may I imagine in heaven at this news what joy is in the souls of Saints that now they must go to their bodies and enter into them that both their souls and bodies which sometimes lived together may now dwell together with Christ in glory and never part more if those that live on earth are commanded by Christ To lift up their heads because their redemption draweth nigh how much more shall they joy in Heaven who also have waited for the adoption to wit Rom. 8.23 the redemption of their bodies that now the long-looked-for day is come it is come O the exaltation of the Angels at this tydings This is worthy a pause a Selah to be set upon it 2. Consider Christ's coming to judgment all now in readiness the Son of God comes forth with all his glorious attendants Matt. 16.27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and with the souls of Saints that for a time have been in
Paradise Oh what a goodly sight is here In this meditation I may see with John Rev. 21.2 The new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Down comes Christ and down come the Angels and down come the spirits of the just made perfect and as they come along see how they shake the Heavens and dim and dark the very lights of Heaven see what a flood of fire goes before them see how they pass into the cloud where Christ makes a stand and erects a Throne for himself to sit on Sure 't will be a guilded glorious cloud when Christ with all his celestial servants shall sit upon it a mornings cloud guilded with the beams of the Sun is admirably fair and shining but what a shining cloud is that where the Sun of righteousness with all his morning stars do sit and shine here 's enough to dazzle my eyes and to take up my thoughts O my soul think on it 3. Consider Christ's summons of the Elect to come under judgment no sooner in the cloud but He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Mat. 24.31 and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds from the one end of heaven to another Will not this be a strange sight to see Christ a coming with Trumpets sounding before him causing all the dead to awaken out of their sleeps of death the very sound of this Trumpet was ever in Jerom's ears Arise ye dead and come to Judgment and no question but thy ears shall be filled with the blast thereof the Trumpet shall found that shall bp heard over all the World and then shall the dead arise out of their graves and every Saints soul shall re-enter into his own body by vertue of the resurrection of Christ their Head Can I pass this meditation without some reflection on my self O my soul how joyfully wilt thou greet thy body when thou shalt enliven it again how wilt thou say O my dear Sister whom I left behind me in the dust when I went to Heaven how sweet is thy carcass how comely is thy countenance how do I enter into thee and animate thee and I will never more leave thee thou wast my yoke-fellow in the Lords Labours and my companion in persecution and wrong now shall we enter together into our Masters joy see lift up thy head behold Jesus Christ yonder sitting in the cloud and lo here the Angels waiting on us and coming to take us with the rest of the Saints into the Air to meet our Redeemer there Could I but realize this summons this resurrection this meeting of the soul and body and going with the Angels into the judgment-seat oh how would it work and what work would it make within 4. Consider Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day oh how shall the Saints look and stare and gaze at the beauty of Jesus Christ oh how will they break out into admiration at the first view of those glories which never before appeared on this side Heaven is not this he will they say of whom we read so often that he was fairer than the sons of men that he was white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousands that his countenance was as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars glorious as when the Sun shineth in his strength but was ever the half told us of what now we see and behold O the super-excellent transcendent beauty of this Son of righteousness O the treasures of loveliness in this Jesus Christ never seen before And thus as they admire so they adore now they begin those Hallelujahs that never never shall have end they fall at the feet of Christ and the Lord Christ takes them up with his hands and folds them in his arms oh what mutual reciprocal salutations are these betwixt Christ and his members oh my head and oh my body oh my husband and oh my spouse oh my dear and oh my darling never two lovers met with such heat of love as Christ and his Saints come saith Christ and sit you down here at my right hand and let the world be on my left hand it was otherwise with you in your life-time my gold and my jewels were then cast in the dust you were then cloathed with infamy and the vilest of men were then guilded with honour but now I will set all right now the dust shall be swept away and the jewels of my Kingdom shall be gathered up now the Goats shall be driven into the desart and you who are the Sheep shall be brought into my fold Oh my soul what a meeting is this what a sight will this be to behold the Saints in this condition and thy self amongst them couldst thou but realize this one very passage it were enough to quench thy lust and to kindle a flame of pure love in thy heart to Jesus Christ it is a quickning rouzing rising rejoycing consideration 5. Consider Christ sentencing the Saints for eternal glory then shall the books be opened and all the good works of the Saints shall be revealed and made known and then shall the Judg from his Throne of Majesty in the sight and hearing of all the world pronounce that sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Mat. 25.34 q. d. Come my Saints come with me into glory come now from labour to rest from disgrace to glory from the jaws of death to the joys of eternal life for my sake ye have been railed on reviled and cursed but now it shall appear to all those cursed Esaus that you are the true Jacobs that shall receive the blessing and blessed shall you be come now and possess with me the inheritance of Heaven where you shall be for love Sons for birth-right heirs for dignity Kings for holiness Priests come you may boldly enter in for my Father hath prepared and kept it for you ever since the first foundation of the World was laid O my soul dost thou not remember when sometimes thou hast been at the feet of Christ in the beauty of holyness and there tookest in those droppings of his spirit which were better to thee than the feasts of Kings dost thou not remember when sometimes thou hast had the very beams of light darted from the face of Jesus Christ when he whispered to thy soul the forgiveness of thy sins saying Fear not thy sins shall not hurt thee I am thy salvation oh what joy was then what meltings movings stirrings leapings of heart were then in thy bosom but was that joy any thing to this or to be compared with this that was a drop but here 's an Ocean here 's fulness of joy oh what leapings of heart what ravishments will be within when thou shalt see thy self in the arms of Christ and shalt receive words of life from the mouth of Christ in the face of
all the World what a thing will this be when Christ shall pass a sentence of death on others and speak words of life unto thee when thou shalt see him frowning upon the world and oh those frowns will break the heart and shalt behold him smiling in the fulness of his love upon thy self that Christ at such a time should be delighting-thee with all the imbraces of love and with this sweet invitation to Heaven Come thou blessed inherite the Kingdom it were enough to a spirit a soul half dead the very meditation of this must needs be sweet 6. Consider Christ and the Saints Judging the rest of the world no sooner are the Saints sentenced but Christ turns to the wicked and bids them go into everlasting fire in which sentence the Saints shall joyn with Christ himself Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World 1 Cor. 6.2 when the Saints appear it is not only by a Summons but with commission not only to be judged but to judge not only shall they stand at Christs right hand but they shall sit down on the Throne of the Son of God to judge the wicked Angels and the World O the torment O the vexation of wicked men and Devils when they shall see those very men whom they scorned oppressed persecuted to be now advanced not onely to glory but to be their judges it is as if some Noble man had wronged some Poor man and that the King should therefore deliver the Noble man into the power of the poor man Psal 112.10 to take his own revenge Surely The ungodly shall see this and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth for indignation and melt away but on the contrary Psal 58.10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his foot-steps in the blood of the ungodly O my soul dost thou believe this truth and art thou confident that thou shalt sit with Christ on his very Throne to judge the World why then be joyfull in afflictions exercise thou patience in the censures and judgments of the World know thou for thy comfort that there is a turn and time of judging and therefore say 1 Cor. 4. â— With me it is a small matter that I should be judged of you or of man's Judgment as the original hath it of man's day Is it not enough to command patience if God's day be at hand when I shall judge my unjust judges hark what the Apostle saith Jam. 5.7 8 9. Be patient Brethren unto the coming of the Lord behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill he receive the early and latter rain be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh behold the judge standeth before the door Come exercise patience let the World be judging if they will needs slander reproach and persecute thy soul they had better abuse any judge on earth than thee though thou art the poorest weakest meanest of God's Saints upon the earth they will know one day that they have abused their own judge in abusing thee And therefore be thou quiet silent patient Say as David let him alone and let him curse yea let him judge for the Lord hath bidden him it may be the Lord will look on mine affliction and will requite good for his Judging this day this is his day but the day of the Lord is my day and then shall I sit with Christ on his Throne to judge the World Oh the sweet that I may suck from this hony-comb of Christ and his Saints judging the World 7. Consider Christ and his Saints going up into Heaven No sooner hath he done his work with the World and sent them away but then he shall conduct all his flock like a faithful shepherd to their fold then shall he go with all his troops following him into Heaven Hath not Christ said so If I go away I will come again John 14.3 and receive you unto my self that where I am there you may be also O those songs of joy and shouts of praise that will fill the World at that day And thus as they go along Heaven opens unto them and they enter in what welcomes they have there is past my telling if we may imagine and guess O the welcome that Christ will give Come my spouse and come my dear come all my Saints here be those Mansions that I went before to prepare and make ready for you here be those everlasting habitations wherein you and I will dwell together here is your Fathers house the building of the wall is all of Jasper Rev. 21 18. and the worst piece of it is all of pure Gold like unto clear Glass why this is your home your house made without hands here you and I will spend our time eternity it self in joying enjoying and beholding of each other And as thus Christ salutes them so will the Angels those Created Citizens of Heaven salute them too for if joy be in Heaven at the conversion of one sinner what joy will there be at the glorification of all these Saints what welcome entertainment will the Angels give to these new guests at their first enterance into Heaven O my soul if thou art one of them that shalt have this welcome what wilt thou say when thou art admitted in thither if weeping were in Heaven wouldst thou not weep for joy sure these things are no fictions of man's brain but truths and realities and as they are true and real so they are exceeding full of joy all the excellencies of this World are but a dream in comparison of them even the Sun in its brightness is but darkness to this glory that shall then be seen Come think over these things and be so enlarged in thy thoughts that before they go thou mayest feel the sweet and taste of this goodness of the Lord. 8. Consider all the several transactions that will follow in Heaven then will Christ present all his elect to God his Father then will he give in all his commissions which he hath received from his Father Then will the Son himself be subject to the Father that God may be all in all I cannot stay to enlarge on these Onely remember though God may be all in all that excludes not Christ for he also is All in all to all his Saints even to all eternity Immediate visions and fruitions of Christ as God is the very top of Heavens joy Christ is all and in all Christ is the center of Heavens happiness Christ is the well-spring that fills the capacities of Saints and Angels Christ is the object of happiness it self there is as much happiness in Christ as happiness is what ever belongs to glory is in Christ In him dwels all the fulness whatever excellency is in Heaven it is in Christ not onely in perfection but connexion for all those
in a peculiar and eminent manner the day of redemption And grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 1 John 3.2 3. They must be adopted It is true they are adopted in this life We are now the Sons of God saith the Apostle yet it doth not appear what we shall be the glory which Christ will put upon us at the last day is so far transcendent and superlative to what now we are that we know not what we shall be sons and more than sons and therefore the Apostle calls the last day Rom. 8.23 the day of adoption 4. They must be justified I know they were justified by Faith before and this justification was evidenced to some of their consciences but now shall they be justified fully by the lively voice of the Judge himself now shall their justification be solemnly and publickly declared to all the world The Syriack word to justifie is also to conquer because when a man is justified he overcomes all those bills and indictments which were brought in against him now this is manifestly done in the day of judgment when Christ shall before Men and Angels acquit and absolve his people oh what a glorious conquest will that be over Sin Death and Hell when the judge of the whole World shall pronounce them free from all Sin and from all those miserable effects of Sin Death Hell and Dominion 5. They must inherit the Kingdom prepared for them so is the sentence at that day Come ye Blessed Mat. 25.34 inherit the Kingdom Not only are they freed from Hell but they must inherit Heaven Now herein is an high step of salvation and a great part of the design of Christ's coming to bring his Saints into Heaven he went thither before to prepare it for them and now he comes again to give them the possession of it come enter into heaven Heaven what is Heaven surely it is not one single Palace but a City a Metropolis a Mother-City the first City of God's creation When the Angel carried John in the spirit to a great and high Mountain Rev. 21.10 11. he shewed him the great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God But a City is too little Luke 12.32 therefore it s more it s a Kingdom Fear not little Flock it s your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom and at this last day he bids his Saints to inherit the Kingdom Luke 20.34 35 36. Or if a Kingdom be too little it is called a World the Children of this world marry and are given in marriage but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more There 's another world besides this and for eminency it is called the world to come O the bredth and largeness of that world as the greater circle must contain the less Heb. 6.5 so doth that world contain this alas all our dwellings here are but as caves under the earth and holes of poor clay in comparison In the bosome of that Heaven is many a dwelling place John 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions there lodges many thousand of glorious Kings O what fair fields and mountains of roses and spices are there surely gardens of length and bredth above millions of miles are nothing in comparison O the Vines the Lillies the Roses the precious Trees that grow in Immanuel's land an hundred harvests in one year are nothing there The lowest stones in every mansion there are precious stones Rev. 21.18 the very building of the wall about it is Jasper and the City is pure gold like unto clear glass O glorious inheritance Tell me Christians in what City on Earth do men walk upon gold or dwell within the walls of Gold though none such here yet under the feet of the inhabitants of Heaven there is Gold All the streets and fields of that City Kingdom World Rev. 21.21 are pure gold as it were transparent glass But alas what speak I of Gold or Glass all these are but shadows indeed and in truth there is nothing so low as Gold or precious Stones there is nothing so base in this high and glorious Kingdom as Gardens Trees or Roses comparisons are but created shadows that come not up to express the glory of the thing I shall therefore leave to speak this because unspeakable 6. They must live with Christ in heaven they must see and enjoy Christ there to all eternity This is a main end of Christs coming I will come again John 14.3 John 17.24 and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also And Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me O let faith eye this above all the former what will my Saviour come again and shall I see his face Oh what a pleasant sight will this same be if Heaven if the inheritance be such a wonder to the beholders what a beauty is that which is in the samplar oh what an happiness to stand besides that dainty precious Prince in Heaven to see the King on his Throne to see the Lamb the fair Tree of life the flowre of Angels the spotless Rose that Crown the Garland the joy of Heaven the wonder of wonders for eternity oh what a life to see the precious Tree of life to see a multitude without quantity of the Apples of glory to see love it self and to be warmed with the heat of immediate love that comes out from the precious heart and bowels of Jesus Christ Oh what a dearness to see all relations meet in one to see the Saviour the good Shepheard the Redeemer the great Bishop of our souls the Angel of the Covenant the Head of the body of the Church the King of ages the Prince of peace the Creator of the ends of the Earth the Song of Angels and glorified Saints Not only must they see Christ but they shall enjoy him whom they see they fly with doves-wings of beauty after the Lamb and in flying after him they lay hold upon him and they will not leave him they can never have enough of the chaste fruition of the glorious Prince Immanuel and they never want his in-most presence to the full they suck the honey and the hony-comb they drink of the floods of eternal consolations and fill all empty desires and as if the souls of Saints were without bottom a fresh they suck again to all eternity Now 〈◊〉 is salvation indeed the soul that attains this full enjoyment is saved to the uttermost 3. In respect of Christ himself that he may be glorified Now in two things more especially will he be glorified at that day 1. In his justice 2.
In his mercy or free grace 1. His justice will be glorified especially in punishing the wicked here on Earth litle justice is done on most offenders though some publick crimes are sometimes punished yet the actions of closets and chambers the designs and thoughts of men the businesses of retirements and of the night escape the hand of justice and therefore God hath so ordained it that there shall be a day of doom wherein all that are let alone by men shall be questioned by God Shall not the judge of all the world do right Gen. 18.25 then all thoughts shall be examined and secret actions viewed on each side and the infinite number of those sins which escaped here shall be blazoned there all shall have justice and the justice of the judge shall be so exact that he will account with men by minutes and that justice may reign entirely God shall open his treasure I mean the wicked man's treasure and tell the sums and weigh the grains and scruples Deut. 32.34 Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up among my treasures I will restore it in the day of vengeance saith the Lord. Oh how will God glorifie his justice at that day surely his justice shall shine and be eminently glorious in every passage 2. His mercy or free grace will be glorified in rewarding the Saints And this is the main the supreme end of his coming to judgment 2 Thes 1.10 He shall come saith the Apostle to be glorified in his Saints not but that the Angels shall glorifie the riches of his grace as well as Saints but because the Angels never sinned they have now kept their Robes of innocency their cloth of Gold above five thousand years without one spark of dirt or change of colour therefore the glory of his grace is more especially fastened on Saints that sometimes were sinners Oh what stories will be told at this day of graces acts I was a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 and a persecutor and an injurious person said Paul but I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I was be-mercied as if he had been dipt in a River in a Sea of mercy it may be he will make the same acknowledgment at the day of judgment I was a sinner but the grace of the Lord Jesus to me was abundant superabundant I obtained as much grace as would have saved a world Certainly free grace shall then be discovered in some purpose Rom. 5.20 then it shall be known That where sin abounded grace far more it over-abounded or more than over-bounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a word borrowed from Fountains and Rivers which have over-flowed with Waters ever since the Creation then all the Saints shall exalt and magnifie and with loud voyces praise the glory of his grace they shall look on their debts written in graces book and then shall they sing and say O the mystery of grace O the gold-mines and the depts of Christs free love why this was the great design of our salvation at the first when God was willing to communicate himself out of his aloneness everlasting he laid this plot that all he would do should be to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1.6 and now at his second coming having done all he will do the Saints for whom he hath done all admire esteem honour and sound forth the praises of his grace Is not this their everlasting song which they begin at this day Glory to the Lamb and glory to his grace that sitteth on the Throne for ever more not but that they glorifie him in his wisdom power holiness and his other attributes ay but especially in this it is his Grace in which he most delighteth even as vertuous Kings affect above all their other Vertues to be had in honour for their Clemency and Bounty so Jesus Christ the King of Kings affects above all the glory of his grace And to this purpose Heaven it self is an house full of broken men who have borrowed millions from Christ but can never repay more than to read and sing the praises of Free-grace Glory to the Lamb and glory to the riches of his grace for evermore Thus for directions one word of Application or a few motives to work Faith in you in this respect 1. Christ in his word invites you to believe these are his Letters from Heaven Come all to the marriage-supper of the Lamb Ho every one that thirsts come in Heaven-gate is open to all that knock but fools foolish Virgins foolish souls which have no Faith nor will have any to render them fit for Heaven This meets with some that scruple what will Christ come again to receive me to himself shall I enter with him into glory alas no unclean thing shall enter into that holy City and shall such a sinner as I am be admitted Oh believe believe thy part in this coming of Christ to receive thee to himself and no sin that thou feelest a burthen shall keep thee out of Heaven There is Rahab the Harlot and Manasseh the Murtherer and Mary that had so many Devils a man that hath many Devils may come where there is not one Luke 14.22 Lame and Blind and Halt may enter into Heaven and yet still there is room there is a great variety of guests above and yet one Table large enough for all no crouding and yet thousands and thousands of thousands sitting together Ah poor soul why dost thou make ecceptions where God makes none why shouldst thou exclude thy self out of these golden gates when God doth not believe onely believe in the Lord Jesus and the promise is sure and without all controversie thou shalt be saved 2. Christ by his Ministry intreats you to believe come say they we beseech you believe in your judge it may be you startle at this what to believe in him who is a coming to be your judge but if your judge be Jesus if the same person who dyed for you shall come to judge you why should you fear indeed if your judge were your enemy you might fear but if he who is your Lord and who loves your souls shall judge you there is no such cause will a man fear to be judged by his dearest friends a brother by a brother a child by a father or a wife by her husband consider is not he your Judge who came down from Heaven and who being on earth was judged condemned and executed in your stead and yet are ye fearful O ye of little faith Oh what an unreasonable sin is unbelief nay say the scrupulous if I were assured of this if I knew that my judge were my friend I should not fear but is he not my enemy have not I provoked him to enmity against my soul do I not stand it out in arms against my judge am not I daily sinning against him who justly may condemn me for my sin give this
shall be quenched But I have in some measure already discovered all those acts of his grace and love till his second coming and therefore I begin there 1. Christ will come is not this love as his departure was a rich testimony of his love John 14.18 It is expedient for you that I go away so is his returning I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you Oh how can we think of Christ's returning and not meditate on the greatness of his love might he not send his Angels but he must come himself is it not state and majesty enough to have the Angels come for us but that he himself must come with his Angels to meet us more than half the way what King on Earth would adopt a beggar and after his adoption would himself go in person to fetch him from the dunghil to his Throne we are filthy lazars from the crown of our heads to the soles of our feet we are full of sores and yet the King of Heaven puts on his best attire and comes in person with all his retinue of glory to fetch us from our graves to his own Court of Heaven Oh the loves of Christ in this one act he will come again he is but gon for a while but he will come again in his own person 2. Christ will welcome all his Saints into his presence and is not this love after he is come down from Heaven he stays for them a while in the Clouds and commanding his Angels to bring them thither anon they come and oh how his heart springs within him at their coming what throbs and pangs of love are in his heart at the first view of them as they draw near and fall down at his feet and worship him so he draws near and falls upon their necks and welcomes them Methinks I hear him say Come blessed souls you are my purchase for whom I Covenanted with my Father from eternity O you are dearly welcome to your Lord in that now I have you in my arms I feel the fruit of my death the acceptation of my Sacrifice the return of my prayers for this I was born and dyed for this I rose again and ascended into Heaven for this I have interceded a Priest in Heaven these many years and now I have the end and design of all my actings and sufferings for you how is my joy fulled look as at the meeting of two lovers there is great joy especially if the distance hath been great and the desires of enjoying one another vehement so is the meeting of Christ with his Saints the joy is so great that it runs over and wets the fair brows and beauteous locks of Cherubims and Seraphims and all the Angels have a part of this banquet at this day 3. Christ will sentence his Saints for eternal life here is love indeed every word of the sentence is full of love it contains the reward of his Saints a reward beyond their work and beyond their wages and beyond the promise and beyond their thoughts and beyond their understanding it is a participation of the joyes of God and of the inheritance of the Judge himself Come enter into your Masters joy inherit the Kingdom Oh but if all the Saints have only one Kingdom where is my room fear not O my soul thou shalt have room enough though but one Kingdom yet all the Inhabitants there are Kings whole Heaven is such a Kingdom as is intirely and fully injoyed by one glorified Saint all and every one hath the whole Kingdom at his own will every one is filled with God as if there were no fellows there to share â—ith him Oh that I may come under this blessed sentence never was more love expressed in words than Christ expresseth in this sentence Come ye blessed c. 4. Christ will take up all his Saints with him into glory where he will present them to his Father and then be their all in all to all eternity This is the heigâ—t of Christ's love this is the immediate love that comes out from the precious heart and bowels of Jesus Christ this is that Zenith of love when sensibly and feelingly it burns at hottest it is true that Christ's love breaks out in all those precedaneous acts we have already spoken Oh but what loves will he cast out from himself in glory the more excellent the Soyl is and the nearer the Sun is the more of Summer and the more of day the more delicious must be the Apples the Pomgranates the Roses the Lillies that grow there surely Christ in glory is a blessed soyl Roses and Lillies and Apples of love that are eternally Summer-green and sweet grow out of him the honey of Heaven is more than honey the honey of love that is pure and unmixt and glorious in Christ must needs be incomparable I cannot say but that Christ's love like himself is the same yesterday and to day and for ever there is no intension 1 John 4.8 or remission of his love as in it self for God is love he is essentially love and therefore admits of no degrees yet in respect of the sense or manifestation of this love of Christ there must needs be a difference thus if he loved his spouse on earth how much more will he love her when his Bride in Heaven If he loves us while sinners and enemies to his holiness how much more will he love us when we are sons and perfected Saints in glory he that could spread his arms and open his heart on the Cross will he not then open arms and heart and all to them that reign with him in his Kingdom if in this life such is loves puissance that we usually say of Christ Though the head be in heaven yet he hath left his heart on earth with sinners what shall we say of Christ in glory where love like the Sun ever stands in the Zenith Deut. 33.27 where the eternal God is the souls everlastiâ—g refuge and underneath are his everlasting arms 5. And if Christ love thus how should we love again for such a love Lord what a sum of love are we indebted to thee is it possible that ever we should pay the debt can we love as high as deep as broad as long as love it self or as Christ himself no no all we can do is but to love a little and Oh that in the consideration of his love we could love a little in sincerity Oh that we were but able feelingly to say Why Lord I love thee I feel I love thee even as I feel I love my friend or as I feel I love my self Such arguments of love have been laid before us as that now I know no more we have seen whole Christ cap-a-pe we have heard of the loves of Christ from eternity to eternity we have had a view of the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ wherein his love is represented to us as hot as death or as
and Powers that captive wicked men at their pleasure even they must be judged by those whom they formerly soyled so then there is no question but they shall judge Only how the Saints shall judge together with Christ is a very deep question For my part I am apt to think that it shall not be directly known ere it be seen or done I shall only relate what others say to this point and so leave you to your liberty of judging what is right 1. Some say that the Saints shall judge the World by presenting their persons and actions by comparing their good examples with the evil examples of all the Reprobates Jude 15. and so they shall convince and condemn the World Behold the Lord cometh with Ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them This I conceive to be a truth yet surely this is not all truth 2. Others say that the Saints shall judge the World by way of indicting impleading accusing witnessing c. And I conceive it may be thus too the Saints of the Law more especially accusing the breakers of the Law by the Law Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father John 5.45 there is one that accuseth you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust And the Saints of the Gospel more especially judging the prophaners of the Gospel Rom. 2.16 by the Gospel in that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel This likewise is truth but I believe as yet we have not the whole truth Psal 58.10 3. Others say that the Saints shall judge the World after the manner of exaltation glorying and rejoycing to see the vengeance The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked But this their exulting being a constant and perpetual act not for a time but for eternity methinks this present act should be yet somewhat more Rev. 16.17 Rev. 19.1 2. 4. Others say that the Saints shall judge the World by way of assession assent vote suffrage comprobation and the like subordinate and conformable acts And I heard another out of the Altar say even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgments And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Allelujah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgments this certainly is truth and commonly so received yet neither is this all truth 5. Others say that the Saints shall judge the World i.e. Christ in the Saints and the Saints in Christ He in them by those Infallible principles of Divine Justice which are imprest in them and they in him by those inseparable bounds of union whereby they wholly relate to him or he and they together as head and members the act of the head imputed to the members and the act of the members acknowledged by the head his Judiciary Act especially as from his Mediatorship and Manhood having a peculiar influence upon them and their Judiciary act in a perfect conformity though not any absolute proportion having a peculiar reference to him And methinks those Texts of Mat. 19.28 Jude 14.15 speak there of Christs and of the Saints judgment as of one joynt act Oh what terror will be to all wicked men when not only Christ but all the Saints shall say of them away with them away with them let them be damned You that are Fathers it may be that your Children will thus sentance you I remember when the Jews told Christ that he cast out Devils through Belzebub the Prince of Devils Mat. 12.7 he answered If I through Belzebub cast out Devils by whom do your Children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges They liked well enough of the Miracles of their Children who were the Disciples of Christ but they could not endure them in Christ and therefore he tells them that their Children whom God hath converted and to whom he had given power to do the same works as he did even they should be their judges to Condemn them And so it may be with you if any of your Children be converted to the Lord and you remain still in a natural estate your very Children shall be your judges and condemn you to Hell But of that anon 6. In this doom which Christ and his Saints shall pass on Reprobates our Saviour tells us of some reasonings betwixt him and them I was an hungred saith Christ and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink c. Mat. 25.42.44.45 Then shall they answer Lord when saw we thee hungry or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee and then shall he answer them verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me As if Christ should have said time was that I was under reproach misery calamity necessity I lay at your doors like Lazarus full of sores and as I thought nothing too much for you so I expected also something from you but oh cruelty to see thy Christ an hungred and not to feed him to see thy Christ a thirst and not to cool or quench his thirst to see thy Christ a stranger and not to give him a nights lodging to see thy Christ naked and not to cover him with a garment who would gladly have covered thee with the robe of righteousness the garment of Salvation O monstrous inhumane heart O prodigious wretch who among the Heathens ever dealt thus with their Idols have any of the Nations starved their Gods turned them out of doors and must I only be slighted away Reprobates you had no mercy on me and now I laugh at your calamity surely he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy They stand wondering at this and cannot remember that ever they saw Christ in such a condition Why Lord say they when saw we thee an hungred or thirsty or naked art thou not he that rose again from the dead and ascended on high and ever since hast been exalted above the highest Cherubims a name being given thee above every name at which name to this day but especially now on this day every knee doth bow of things in heaven and things in earth Phil. 2.9 10. and things under the earth how then could we see thee in such a condition is not this thy second coming in glory and were we alive at thy first coming in humility how can this be oh how shouldst thou charge us with unkindness to thy self surely if we had known thee in need we would have given thee of thy own thou shouldst never have wanted what things we enjoyed but thou shouldst