THE General Assembly OR A DISCOURSE OF THE Gathering of all SAINTS to CHRIST WHEREIN It appears that all SAINTS in all Places and Ages shall be at last gathered together to CHRIST their Head TOGETHER With the Time Manner Ends and Reasons of this last Great Congregating of all SAINTS and what use may be made thereof BEING Some MEDITATIONS upon 2 Thess II. 1. By O. H. Minister of the GOSPEL Melch. Adam in vit Joan. Jacob Grynaei Pag. 877. O praeclarum illum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium caelumque proficiscar Et cum ex hâc turbâ collatione discedam si enim Ethnicus i. e. Seneca ita sensit cur nos Christiani eodem animo non simus LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1700. TO THE Christian Reader NEXT to the immediate Injoyment of God which is the Top and Height of a Gracious Souls felicity it is no doubt an adventitious Comfort to the Children of God that they shall meet with all the Holy Souls in Heaven of whom they have heard and with whom they have injoyed sweet Communion in this lower World What a ravishing Transport of Love was there reciprocally betwixt loving Jonathan and his beloved David in their mutual Embraces when they kissed one another and wept one with another until David exceeded 1 Sam. 20.41 Who can read that Passage with dry Eyes But oh what raptures of transcendent Joy will these Holy Souls be filled with upon their meeting in Heaven Where briny Tears shall be whiped from their weeping Eyes and Sin and Sorrow shall flee away Such joy would break their Hearts and kill them as the Father died for joy on his two Sons coming off Victors in the Olympick Games did not Almighty grace inlarge their Vessels to a vast Extent When they told Jacob that Joseph was yet alive Jacob 's heart fainted for he believed them not Gen. 45.26 27. but when he saw the Wagons sent to carry him the spirit of Jacob revived Oh but what full demonstrations both of the certainty and excellency of our godly Friends felicity be in Glory No hesitation remains either it be so no bitter ingredients to allay this joy How will these pure streams mingle and recur with ravishment to all Eternity The once tender-hearted Mother will turn her desires into delight and say what my Son Pro. 31.2 and what the Son of my womb and what the Son of my vows Thou art welcome hither now my sad Agonies are turned into triumphant Songs What sweet solace will the godly Husband and gracious Wife take in each other Once heirs together of the grace of life 1 Pet 3.7 now full possessours of the life of glory The godly Christian Friends that walked to the house of God in company Psal 55.14 and took sweet counsel together are now abundantly satisfied with the fatness of God's house Psal 36.8 and drink of the rivers of pleasures yea bath themselves in this ocean of delights Surely it will be no small accession of their joy to meet their old Friends Relations and Companions there never to part more If Archimedes was so transported with finding out a Mathematical Conclusion that he cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found I have found it much more will the glorified Saint be exceedingly ravished when after all his Pains and Fears he can say I have found my beloved and all my Christian Friends before the Throne Oh happy day Oh ravishing sight To behold the Sun of righteousness in all his Glory and those radiant Stars glittering in that upper Firmament this indeed will surprize the Soul with astonishment The reading of the incomparable Writings of Eminent Ministers hath been often a great refreshment to studious and serious Souls Heynsius the learned Library keeper of Leyden professed that when he had shut up himself among so many illustrious Souls he seemed to sit down there as in the very lap of Eternity and pittied Rich Worldlings that were strangers to his delights Oh but what brave Souls are the Spirits of just Men made perfect What pleasure will they take in the graces and happiness of each other If David could say of Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me 2 Sam. 1.26 thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of Women O what love and delight will be above in the proper Element of Love Where Souls will be filled with God and delight in his Image shining in all the Saints It is certain that all the real Saints that ever died since the World began are taken up into Heaven and enjoy God and each other but whether the Saints departed or Angels were participants of that Glory before which they have since Christ 's Ascention into Heaven Dr. Owens Christolog v. 158. is doubted by some yea the contrary asserted which I dispute not nay I am apt to think every glorified Soul loosed from the Flesh will be some addition to the Joy of the glorified above O what acclamations of joy will every Soul landing safely in Glory cause to Coelestial Inhabitants Well met Brethren after a tedious dangerous Voyage in this Haven of Rest Glad full glad are we that you are got safe into Abraham's bosom And whether the Saints successively going off the stage of the World inform them above of the State of the Church below I have not to say But as there is no Grief there or occasions of Sorrow so there is multitudes of objects and occasions of Joy and Triumph the felicitating object the place the company the duration all afford matter of Comfort And why may we not think their Reflection upon their former State in this lower World will contribute something to their Refreshment Yea and their communicating Experiences one to another in that blessed State If any one doubt whether glorified Souls will have such mutual intelligible Entercourses with each other for Satisfaction herein let them read the excellent Discourse of precious Mr. John Flavil called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Treatise of the Soul of Man from Page 274 to 281 wherein you 'l find the Objection answered of their wanting the Organs and instruments of Speech and Hearing Surely he saith the Spirits of just Men are not mutes such an August Assembly of holy and excellent Spirits do not live together in their Fathers House without mutual Converse and Fellowship with each other as well as with God The great Question is how this Discourse is managed and he affirms out of Zanchy that is but a turning the key of the Will and their Thoughts and Desires are presently seen and known by others to whom they will discover them as a Man's Face is seen in a Glass when he pleaseth to turn his Face to it Would one Spirit make known his Mind to another it is but to Will he should know it and it is immediately known And this internal way
think the Faculties will be strangely inlarged so that the Saints will know all natural things and pierce into the Essence of the most intricate Beings the Nature and Efficacy of Creatures the Properties of Angels the Mysteries of Redemption the Councels of God Though they are not omniscient their Knowledge is limited yet I think they will know all the Antient Patriarchs Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph David Paul Peter though they had never seen them in this World Thus the rich Man though damned knew Father Abraham Luke 16.23 and Lazarus in his bosom Luther discoursed the Night before he died that Saints shall know one another hereafter from Adam's knowing who Eve was though he was asleep Gen. 2.23 the Disciples knowing Moses and Elias in Christ's transfiguration Mat. 17.3 and indeed his mutual knowledge will not be the least part of Saints heavenly delight 5. The Souls of Men live after they are separated from the Body For what is it which is gathered with the Saints It s not the Body for that is laid in the dust but it s the Soul for the Body and Soul meet not till the great Day of the Resurrection Nor doth the Soul sleep in the dust till then for our Lord said to the penitent Thief Luke 23.43 to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice And Paul desired to be loosed that he might be with Christ Psalm 1.23 nor doth the Soul cease to be it hath an existence in a separate State Men may kill the Body not the Soul Mat. 10.20 Atomists and Epicureans will not grant an annihilation of any one Atom in the Universe surely then not this excellent Creature the Soul of Man Yea the Soul of Man continues its inviduation i. e. it s distinct being and falls not into one common universal Soul of the World as some have imagined Spirits have a numerical Difference a distinct Being Nor are we to think that the Soul returns into the Essence of God because the Text saith The Spirit returns to God who gave it Eccl. 12.7 It doth return to God to receive its Sentence from him not into his Being for then we should make God Divisible and consisting of Parts which is contrary to his infinite Divine Nature thus Souls have a distinct Being yet depending on God the first Being and are individuals and must be accordingly judged 6. That the Soul being gathered with the Elect enters immediately into glory to know where Lazarus's Soul was while he was in the Grave requires more skill then I can pretend to Some think it hovered about the Grave by Christ's order as designing its re-entring the Body but Scripture assures us of the immediate Salvation of gracious Souls They enter into peace when the Body rests in its Bed Isa 57.2 They are pronounced blessed that die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in Glory Col. 3.4 Now they shall be glorious in their Souls At the Resurrection their Bodies will be Glorious Phi. 3.21 even like Christ's glorious Body This answers that Query whether the Saints shall have greater Glory at the Resurrection then they had immediately after their Death It is easy to determine that so far as there is an Addition of a glorified Body to the glorified Spirit so far is the Glory greater what further I know not Though Dr. Hammond thinks the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when Flesh is not joined to it signifies that Life which the Soul enters upon immediately after Death called Resurrection i. e. Glorification Certainly the Soul hath some intuitive Knowledge in its separate State and Felicity also so far as it is capable 7. When these blessed Souls are thus gathered together they shall never part they shall live with God and each other for ever Here we part and meet again and meet and part again and part so as we shall never meet again in this World But in the other World we shall part no more through the Ages of Eternity After Millions of Years the Comforts are as fresh as at the first Moment never weary nor interrupted they are before the throne of God Rev. 7.15 chap. 20.6 chap. 22.5 and serve him day and night in his temple These Waters have a perpetual Spring this Day hath no Night They shall reign with Christ not a thousand Years definitively but for ever and ever O what a lasting and everlasting injoyment of God and Saints will that be What can part them God will not the Devil and wicked Men cannot themselves shall not for they have within them an incorruptible Seed even of that Word that liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 It is not with Saints in Heaven as with Boon-companions in playing drinking carousing Matches of sport and vanity that must part nor is it with Saints there as with God's Children here in the Worship of God that have their Intermission Cessations Interruptions are forced to break off But there the work continues praising God the place continues it hath Foundations the persons continue he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2.17 CHAP. IV. For what End the Saints are gathered together 4. THE next Head is to open the End or Design of the Saints gathering together these are of Two Sorts 1. Principal 2. Secondary and Subordinate 1. The primary and principal End is the Glorifying of God the great God doth all things for this great End 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe The glory of the Saints shall reflect glory to God God takes himself honoured in his Saints Honour as the Prince is magnified in the splendour of his Court If God be glorified in the bitterest Sufferings of his Saints 1 Pet. 4.14 how much more in their Exaltations Oh what a Luster will they cast when they are all crowned as Kings Dan. 12.3 Mat. 13.43 when they shall shine as the Firmament yea as Stars yea as the Sun in its Meridian glory O what a strange change is this to be raised out of the Durst and Dung-hill to sit upon Thrones How came this to pass surely the Author of this Glory will have the chief share therein all God's perfections will be conspicuous The Saints meeting together in the foresaid Manner will tend to the glory of 1. God's Soveraignty wherein he chose these that were Children of Wrath even as others to make them Vessels of Mercy and left others as good as they to perish and be banished from God to all Eternity then those eternal Councels will be displayed and that Scripture fully explained Rom. 9.15 18 22 23. 2. God's Wisdom shall be illustrious in contriving a way for Man's Redemption and Salvation This Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory 1 Cor. 2.7 Then the Secrets
of speaking is more noble perfect and excellent then by Words and Signs both in respect of clearness and also of dispatch and speed See both cleared ubi Supra p. 280. This is the Language of Spirits called the Tongue of Angels 1 Cor. 13.1 but after the Resurrection when bodies are united to Souls possibly there may be the use of bodily Organs howbeit in a more excellent way then now they can Yet in the glorified State the joy of the Soul shall redound to the Body Weemse p. 202. so that some think there will be no use of the baser Sences but only of the noble Sences as Seeing and Hearing The best pleasure is that of the Souls spiritual delights are far more pleasant then sensual immediately after a gracious Soul is parted from the Body it attains to that perfection of Knowledge with more ease then it could attain to a small degree of Knowledge whilst in the Body Yet it s questioned whether the glorified Soul shall be in a proficiency of Knowledge which yet will be an addition to its Happiness For the Soul being a Finite Being cannot attain to a comprehensive Knowledge of God but what they injoy will be beatifical O what an emphasis is in that Word seeing God face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 1 John 3.2 and seeing him as he is who can now tell what it means It s true the Saints happiness lies in being ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 1 Cor. 15.20 and God's being all in all to them But this mutual Delight in one another will be a blessed Circumstance of their Felicity Whilst I was musing on the great Number of precious Souls breathing their last Ministers and Christians formerly and lately known and unknown whom I shall never see any more in this World I begun to contemplate what 's become of them surely they are not lost but laid up when shall we meet again Where shall we meet In what Place or Condition I am assured by Divine Revelation that the Souls of Believers do immediatly pass into Glory and as our Lord saith to the penitent dying Thief Luke 23.43 to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice so he saith of the Soul of Lazarus Luke 16.22 that he was carried by the Angels into Abraham 's bosom there only Saints are there all the Saints are 't is a Place and State proper to Saints only yet common to all the Saints not one excluded we need not fear want of good Company yet it is not the company of fellow Saints that will make us happy for as one saith Though the Strings receive not their sound and vertues from each other yet their concurrence causeth that Harmony which could not be by one alone Mr. Baxters Saints Bost Part I. p. 97. for all the lines may be drawn from the center and not from each other and yet their Collocation make them more comely then one alone could be But in this caution is necessary that we give Christ his Prerogative and ascribe not too much to Man to expect that from them that 's not in them Survivers are too prone to this Idolatry as Popery testifies But in Heaven our Affections will be regular God will have his due and Saints theirs we shall behold God in his Saints All the glory will redound to God in what God's Children have been and then are when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day 2 Thes 1.10 Oh what an happy honourable triumphant Assembly will that be The contemplation I have had of this Day and State hath extorted from me these Meditations which have been very delightful to me in transcribing and I shall pray that they may be profitable to the Reader and that we may land safe in that blessed Haven where so many of our godly Friends and Relations are arrived that we may rejoyce and sing together the Song of Moses and the Lamb for ever more Which is the prayer and care of thy faithful Friend and Monitor O. H. Sept. 22. 1698. 2 THES II. 1. Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him CHAP. I. The Context cleared the Text opened Doctrine raised THAT Jesus Christ will come down from Heaven to Judge the World is an Article of our Faith commonly believed among professed Christians But there have been useless endless Disputes about the Time of his Coming but one would think what our Lord saith in Math. 24.36 should silence Men's curious and presumptuous Assertions concerning this Secret for he saith thereof that day and hour knoweth no Man Mark 13.32 no not the Angels of Heaven but my Father only No nor Christ himself as Man No say they the Day and Hour cannot be known but the Year may But that 's a poor Evasion for by day and hour is meant the Time and if Christ know not no wonder if he foretold it not to his Disciples for wise Reasons that we might be always ready Grotius indeed saith that Paul thought the coming of Christ would be in his days yet you see here that it would not be till certain Signs foretold should come to pass and after that they were still to expect it as uncertain Ignorance of it is needful but errour about it is hurtful let us study what tends to Practice In this Text the blessed Apostle doth vehemently beseech them by all that is dear unto them that no pretence either of Spirit Word or Apostolical Letter do perswade them that Christs coming is near at hand and so torment their Minds or stagger their Faith when they find it otherwise What those preceding Signs are see Baxter's Paraphrase on this Chapter those that can let them consult it All that I shall do is to take notice of this solemn obsecration or obtestation in this Text wherein he adjures them 1. By the coming of our Lord. 2. By our gathering together unto him It is a sacred and solemn Oath like that in 1 Cor. 15.31 I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily So here it is as if he should say as you have an high and honourable Esteem of Jesus Christ himself and as you have a great esteem of and make due preparation for the coming of Christ by which he will gather us all to himself and really perfect the Unity of his Body both which are represented as proper objects of Faith which we admire and expect and highly esteem I do again beseech you by these be not too credulous of Men's predictions who state that day to this or that time as they fancy sometimes preposterously hastening it other whiles procrastinating it to a vast dimention I must tell you saith Paul these conceits are scattered by Satan's Artifice And it becomes an exitiale commentum dangerous figment or invention of Men's Brains for if
of Israel They shall no more be prosecuted by Murthering or scattering Acts they shall now be out of date they shall no more hear the Voice of the Oppressour there have been many such days as those in the Apostles times great persecutions against the Church Acts 8.1 that they were all scattered abroad through forreign Regions But now the storms are blown over the clouds scattered and the glorified Saints shall never be broken up or disturbed by the Sons of Violence any more They shall recount those by past troubles with Songs of Praise 8. The Saints of God that have been confined to Prisons shall be set at liberty and injoy sweet content together The Lord made their very Prisons sweet by mutual Communion but Heaven will be sweeter The imprisoned Bird never sings so sweetly in the Cage as at liberty O blessed inlargement Now they are delivered with the rest of the Creation into the glorious liberty of the children of God Rom. 8.21 They walk abroad at liberty at another rate then ever How shall they with joy and triumph recount their wandring about in Deserts and Mountains Heb. 11.37 38. in Dens and Caves of the Earth Sometimes thrust into dark and dirty Dungeons with Felons and Malefactors yea condemned tortured executed but now they have obtained a better Resurrection O happy deliverance These shall have their proper Mansions in their Fathers House and the Coelestial Pallace will resound sweet Eccho's of their triumphant Praises they shall not now with Paul and Silas sing in the Stocks Acts 16.24 25. but above where they shall be advanced together 9. The Saints that have providentially parted one from another upon any occasion shall meet again and part no more When Paul was to be bound at Jerusalem and the Disciples understood it they took on heavily Paul said what mean ye to weep and to break my heart Acts 21.11.13 Their weeping breaks his Heart But especially saith the Text they sorrowed most of all Acts 20.38 for the words that he spake that they should see his face no more And this is the Case of many Christian-friends but the relief is they shall see each others Faces again and their Faces will shine as the Sun and their Contentment shall be exceeding the bounds of any Capacity in this lower World They parted but for a Season that they should receive each other for ever Philemon 15. when the gracious God hath received them into everlasting Habitations 10. The Saints that divided and could not agree to walk together in one Church upon Earth shall be perfectly reconciled above and then shall mutually embrace each other They shall all speak the same thing and never have the least reflecting Speech or Thought against each other Possibly in this World the Contention or Paroxism betwixt a Paul and Barnabas may be so sharp that they may depart asunder one from another Acts 15.39 As all God's People are necessarily scattered into distinct Societies though uniting in Spirit in the bonds of Peace yet good Persons of different Perswasions may in some cases refuse to hold Communion occasionally one with another some being for greater Latitude others for smaller Bonds or being of different Principles in smaller Matters or through Prejudice or Passion yet in Heaven they shall be all of one Mind and one Heart and all Dissention and Division will be laid aside O what perfect Love sweet Harmony and joyful Delight will there be in the Persons and Graces of each other There will be no saying then I am of this Opinion or of this Party or a Member of this Church and not of another but they shall attain to be in the Unity of the Faith and united Members of the Triumphant Church 11. Christians that had their natural Infirmity shall leave them behind them and their united Spirits shall be made perfect How rough-hewn Natures have some godly Souls How unsociable are some that proves a great Affliction to themselves and all about them still quarrelsom and discontented nothing pleaseth them and sometimes they cannot help it though they strive and fight and pray against it it still recurs and returns and breeds much vexation but upon this blessed gathering together the crooked shall be made streight Isa 40.45 and the rough places and spirits plain when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed O happy day when there will be no envy or discontent but the Saints shall rejoyce in each others Graces and Comfort as their own and lie square to each others Spirits Though some Stars shall out-shine others in luster and glory yet every Vessel shall be full both of Grace and Comfort and not a wry Look or peevish Word shall be found there to all Eternity 12. The Saints that here condoled themselves and each other in their Personal afflictions shall leave their Sorrows behind them and all the occasions and grounds thereof and unanimously thank God for compleat Immunity from all some are sick some are pained some are pinched with Poverty others are tormented with wicked Children and bad Relations Some have troubles of Conscience under darkness hidings of God's Face some assaulted with hellish Infections Fatanical Temptations some are deeply Melancholy and under sad Complaints Now we are required to bear one anothers burthens Gal. 6.2 And Paul saith who is weak and I am not weak 2 Cor. 11.29 Who is offended and I burn not Grace in the Heart commands sympathy with others but that perfect State dischargeth all Compassion as well as Passion They that mourned together shall rejoyce together not a sigh or groan shall ever possess a glorified Spirit 13. The Saints shall lay aside all difficult and self-denying Duties There are many personal Duties that require some cost and it becomes a Christian before hand to sit down and count the cost Luke 14.28 to mortify some special Lusts to maintain a strict watch over Heart and Life to worship God in the Spirit exercise every Grace maintain constant Communion with God these will cost a Soul much care and industry and though these are sweet in managing to purpose Prov. 3.17 for wisdoms ways are pleasantness yet because of the corruption of our Hearts and aversness to any thing that 's good they become difficult and then relative Duties are difficult to discharge trust to Relations Parents to Children Masters to Servants Christians one to another mutual Inspection Admonition giving and taking Reproofs faithfully humbly Christians find these Duties hard and grievous to flesh and blood But the more Spiritual any Man grows the more Easy they grow the more Love is in our Hearts to God the less are his commandments grievous 1 John 5.3 Now in Heaven Love will be perfected And holy Souls will be in their Element while they are serving God and doing the works of that Place But the more you can sing in the ways of the Lord Psal 138.5 Jer. 31.12 the