of the whole World And so He answers their Question teaching them that as all Creatures are the Print of his Feet so their whole Conduct is the Motion of His Feet Their Commotions His Commings on upon them As the Whale moveth himselfe under the Waters the Billows rise and rowl the Deep boyles like a Pot. Before our Saviour's time Lucifer was the Leviathan that made the Sea to seeth about him like a Pot of Ointment Now our Lord Jesus sports Himselfe in these Waters He makes his way under them and as he moves The Deepes of Mens Spirits Counsailes Common-wealths boyle the whole Frame of Things reel and rowl themselves into violent Concussions like Waves of the Sea This is the third sort of Clouds Rowling Ones 4. Cloudes of Angels My Text saith Christ comes with Cloudes Saint Paul saith 2 Thes. 1.7 The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels Our Lord Jesus tels us Mat. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the Right Hand of Power and comming in the Clouds of Heaven He speakes of the same thing Mark 8.50 In this Phrase When He commeth in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels These Parallel places make those expressions seem Parallel Angels Cloudes The Prophet discourseth of all sorts of Meteors Psa. 104.3 4. The upper Waters Clouds Winds Spirits or Blasts Flames of Fire This is interpreted expresly of Angels Heb. 1.7 And of Angels He saith He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire These are the Waters in which the Chambers of God are the Clouds which are His Chariot the Winged Windes on which He rides the Flames in which He Comes Saint Paul joynes these Two Angels and Flames at the Comming of Christ 2 Thes. 1.7 8. The Lord shall be revealed from Heaven with His Mighty Angels And with Flaming Fire The Flame of Fire is Heat working it selfe into Light This is the Immediate Image and Instrument of Angels in this visible World thorow this they appeare and work All the Appearances of God under the Law were by Angels All the Appearances of Angels were by Flames or Light The Angel went up from Manoah in a Flame Iud. 30.20 He appeared to Moses in a Flame Exod. 3.2 The Angels came downe upon the sacrifices in a Flame The Lord Jesus shall come in a Flame of Angels The Glory of God in Christ as he comes the second time breaks forth upon the Angels In these He Flames out upon the Bodily Part of Things as Fire dissolving them in their own shapes and resolving and raising them into Angelicall Formes These are the Heavenly Flames of Glory in which Saints are Blessed the Fire of Hell in which Evill men are tormented Angelicall Forms In this sense Jesus Christ tels us Luke 17.22 that Lazarus being dead was carryed by Angels into Abraham's Bosome That Glory of God which is cal'd Abraham's Bosome a Type of the Fathers Bosome was revealed in the Angels in them it over-shadowed Lazarus withdrawing Him out of this Present State and gathering Him up unto these Spirits which are the Fathers of the Earthly Man Accordingly we read Mark 13.27 He shall send forth His Angels and gather His Elect from the Four Windes This shall be the Resurrectin of the Body when this visible Image and life which was as wind breath'd forth by God from the Bosome of those Angelicall Flames shall by their opening themselves upon it be again taken in to God in these Spiritual Chambers In the same sence Angels are called the Chariots of God Psa. 68.17 The Chariots of the Lord are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels The second Comming of Christ is not on Foot as a Servant The Image of the First Adam in a visible shape 'T is as of a Prince in his chariot The Image of God in the Angelical Being Cant. 3.8 Solomons Chariot had Pillars of silver Covering of Purple Bottome Gold in the mid'st Love for the Daughters of Hierusalem Divine Glory the Foundation Divine Love the Center in that Foundation Pillars of Silver Angelicall Beauties and strengths the Covering of Purple the Glorious Humanity of Christ in Royall State Comprehending all This is the Chariot which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for His Spouse This is the Forme in which He rides forth at his second Comming thorow the Whole Creation taking up to Him the Daughters of Hierusalem both in Soul and Body at their severall Seasons As Angels are the Chariots of Fire in which the Lord rides forth the second Time So are they the Horses of Fire on which He rides Revel. 6. As the Seales are opened A Man comes forth on Horse-back The Man is the Image of God the Lord Jesus who comes forth in every various forme as in a severall Dresse for several Designes The Horse is the Particular Forme of Invisible Glory the Angel on which He is Mounted I will make an end of this Discourse with that Place Mark 8.1 Where Christ speaking of his Comming joynes these Two the Glory of the Father and the Holy Angels As the Man on the Horse He shall come in the Glory of His Father and the Holy Angels In our Saviour's Person as He comes in the Spirit the Glory of the God-head shal be as a Sea the Angelicall Glories as Ships on this Sea All Formes of Things in this visible State shall be taken off the Earth of their own Grosse and Dul Principles into these Mysterious Ships in which they shall be carried on still further and further into the Ocean of the God-head I have now describ'd those Clouds in which Christ comes which was the second Head 3. Head The clearnesse of Christs Appearance Every Eye shall see Him There is a Two-fold Eyes 1st The Inward 2. The Outward Eye 1st The Inward Eye shall see Christ Saint Paul speaks of this Ephes. 1.18 The Eye of your understanding being Enlightened The Eye of the understanding is the Inward Eye This also is Two-fold 1st A Naturall 2. A Divine Eye The Naturall Eye is that of Reason which is alwayes open in all Men so farre as they are Men The Divine Eye is for many yeares many ages quite shut up in the Soul ever since the Creation untill the Regeneration This Eye is a Divine Principle or Faculty of seeing Things the Supreame Power of Knowing as God Knows and is Known Saint Iohn speaks of this Eye 1 Iohn 3.2 When He appeares we shall be like Him For we shall see Him as He is The Proper Light and Object of This Eye is Jesus Christ in the Spirit as He is the Brightnesse and Image of the God-head As a Sun-beame beating with a strong Light upon the Naturall Eye So shall the Lord Jesus awaken this Eye in Man by setting Himselfe in it And now how cleer how sweet how satisfactory must this sight be 'T is a Fit Union of an Object Suitable to a Proportion'd Power or Faculty that gives
in the Salutation is Prayer This hath a Three-fold Description of our Saviours Divine Person 1. A Distinction of Times in the Person of Christ 2. A Distinction of Things 3. An Union of Times and Things in Him A distinction of Times in Christ This you may reade in the 4. verse From Him Which Is Which Was and Which is to Come The whole Frame of Things is built with a Three-fold Partition like the Temple which makes a Three-fold Kingdome 1. That of Nature 2. That of the Mediatour 3. That of the Father These Three Kingdomes have their Full Revolutions and Severall Periods in that One Majestick Person of our Saviour 1. The Kingdome of Nature lyes in the Glory of Christs Person as Past The first Creation was a kind of Incarnation for in that the Image of God was made Flesh Jesus Christ was the Seed of the world God calls him The Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 He is the Seed in the Woman which Sends Her forth and Growes up out of Her The Woman and the World are to Jesus Christ as the Corne to the Blade Eare and Huske You reade Rev. 1.15 The Feet of Christ were like unto Fine Brasse as if they were Burning in a Fornace The Formes of Nature are the Feet of the Lord Jesus These are in the Divine Brightnesse of his Immortall Person as in a Flame Consumed in the Heat of a Greater Glory yet stil Conspicuous and Transparent through the Light of it Therefore in this Kingdome our Lord raignes with this Title He That Was. 2. The Kingdome of the Mediatour This is the Vnion or Marriage of the Two other Kingdoms of Nature and the Father Time and Eternity This is as a Flourishing Picture which consists of Light and Shadow making of Both One Beauty God is the Light the Creature the Shadow which here are interwoven and shine mutually The Creature By God God In the Creature so Both make but One Appearance One Kingdome This is the Middle-state of things Thorow this God first Descends into Nature Thorow this All Things Ascend and return again out of Nature unto God Therefore this is cal'd Regnum Mediatorium This is properly the Kingdome of Christ as he is the Mediator In this our Lord Jesus is according to his Proper State and Person known by This name He That Is. 3. The Kingdome of the Father Here the God-head reignes in the Fulnesse of an Unmixt the Freedome of an Unlimited Glory The Kingdome of Christ is ever in Motion till at last it roul it selfe into this sea where it Perfectly loseth and yet more Perfectly then ever keeps its own Distinct State This is the First Description A Distinction of Things in the Person of Christ And from the seven Spirits which are before His Throne ver. 4. If these Spirits were Angels they would in this place justifie and reward the Papists in their prayers to those Flaming Ministers God is a Spirit but He is One These then are some Middle-thing not by Negation that cannot be but by Participation Seven is the Perfect number of the Creature comprehending its Labour and its Rest its Six Dayes and its Sabbath Seven times Seven is the Great Jubile the Joy of All Things in which they are Free and Return to their First State God then As He varies himselfe into all the Distinct Formes of the Creature as he carries them on thorow their Severall Changes till he carry them up to His own Vnchangeable Rest So He is a Seven-fold Spirit And this is the Spirituall Person of our Lord Jesus Pan's Pipe composed of seven reeds Seven being known by learned men for the Marriage-number Revel. 5.6 A Lamb stands with seven hornes and seven eyes which are The Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth This is that Great Spirit our Lord Jesus who in the form of a Seven-fold Spirit like a River with seven heads le ts forth the God-head and the Creation one into another The Union of all Times and Things in One Person This is the first part of the fifth verse This Vnion is set forth by a Three-fold Expression 1. The Appearance of all things in Christ 2. The Presence of Christ in all 3. The Power of Christ over all 1. The Appearance of all things in Christ Iesus Christ the faithfull witnesse Our Lord Jesus in glory is become the Image and the Light The Image in which Each Thing is seen The Light by which that Image appears So He is both the Testimony and the Witnesse He is the Faithfull witnesse For He is the Truth of all things Every thing is seen in Him according to its most Right most Proper and Solidest Appearance 2. The Presence of Christ in all The first-born from the dead v. 5. c. 1. Our Lord Jesus was in Nature so He became capable of dying He sinks himselfe out of Nature into The Darknesse which is a Shadow flying round about this Creation so He dyes Thorow this Darknesse he shoots forth himselfe into the Light of God which encompasseth all So He is risen from the dead By His Presence in Nature all things put forth themselves there For all subsist in him Colos. 1.17 By His Death all things die His Death being the Vniversal one including and bringing forth all Particular deaths For the world is crucified by the Crosse of Christ By His Resurrection all things are raised into the Life of God as the Soul raiseth all the parts of the Body making to it selfe so many severall Resurrections in them Thus is Christ the First-born from the Dead This is He Present in All Things Passing thorow All States 3. Power over all The Prince of the Kings of the earth c. 1. v. 5. All Principalities and Powers visible or invisible are streames in which Jesus Christ flowes forth from God pouring forth himselfe at last into God againe So have we gone thorow the Prayer in the Salutation as it containes a Three-fold Description of our Saviours High and Heavenly Person 2. Praise This second part of the Salutation which raiseth it selfe by a quick sweetnesse of change unto Praise is comprehended in the latter part of the fifth verse and the sixth The Praises sing forth the Person of Christ in a Two-fold Description First Love Secondly Lustre 1. Love This Love of our Sweet Saviour hath a double Preciousnesse in it 1. The Affection To him that hath loved v. 5. 2. The Effect This is Three-fold 1. Our Justification And hath wash't us in his blood 2. Sanctification Hath made us Priests to God his Father 3. Glorification Hath made us Kings 2. Lustre To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Glory is the Reflexion of Beauty from every Appearance Dominion is the Power or Fulnesse that comprehends and sends forth each Appearance This is the Lustre of our Saviours Divine Person 'T is set with the Roots and Rags of all Being It hath in it selfe the Power that puts forth
any Appearance the Appearance that is put forth by any Power thorow the whole extent of things from one end of them to the other for ever and ever Saint Iohn from these Praises passeth as by a divine Rapture of delight and wonder into the First Preface v. 7. Behold He comes c. Let All eyes here look up and gaze He comes He who is who was who is to come He the Living Creature and the Wheel of the whole Creation of God He comes with Clouds He comes cloth'd with so full appearance of Majesty and Sweetnesse as shall melt all hearts make all eyes weep teares of Griefe and Ioy Grief that they have seen Him no sooner Ioy that they see him now and seeing him see all their Griefs and Feares eternally vanish't all their desires and joyes accomplish't all their Sinnes against so much Sweetnesse perfectly forgiven Thus we are arrived at my Text TEXT THe Text is a Prophesie of that Divine Trinity Light Love and Ioy which shall Vnitedly Vniversally reign in all hearts and eyes at the Second Appearance of this Royall Spouse of Spirits You will see this Text though it speak of Wounds Mourning Teares to have a sweet not sad sence in all these if we compare it with that place of the Prophet from whence these words seem in great part to be borrowed Zach. 12.10 I will pour forth a Spirit of Grace and supplications c. The Text hath Four Parts 1. A Shout 2. A Show 3. Spectators 4. Their Passions 1. The Shout Behold This is as a Blast of a Trumpet giving a loud and chearfull warning of some Glorious Show already begun 't is an Excitation with a signification of some Eminent and Present thing 2. The Show He Comes with Clouds He comes This word in Greek signifies a Present and Continued act then begun from that time extending it selfe to our dayes to the end of Time He is Comming He comes with Clouds I shall leave these Clouds upon my Text untill I come to my Doctrine then I shall open them 3. The Spectators The whole world is the Theater or Stage on which this Show is presented All orders of Spirits are the Spectators Every eye shall see him They also that have Pierced him This clause hath a peculiar relation to the Jewes 'T is also a Hint of that Depth in which Divine Love hath laid it's Designe to spring the Highest Sweetnesse upon the most Horrid Sinners 'T is a melting Touch like that Go tell his Disciples and Peter that he is risen Mark 16.7 Or like that Hee appeared first to Mary Magdelen out of whom he had cast seven Devils Mark 16.9 4. Passion And they shall mourn over Him The Sight pierceth the Hearts of the Spectators As Two Principles Water and Blood ran mixt from the side of Christ so Three sorts of Teares flow mingled down the cheeks of the Beholders here Teares of Remorse Love and Ioy Teares of Remorse for having hated Love stain'd Glory murthered Life it selfe upon a Mistake And all this Their Own Love Glory Life Teares of Love towards Beauty and Sweetnesse an Universal Beauty an Vnlimited Sweetnesse united in one Iesus like Light and Heat in one Beame and breaking forth from His Face to make a True Day Teares of Ioy for that Blessednesse which appeares extending it selfe securely to Eternity in the Incomprehensible Majesty of our Saviour's Person which hath Immortality which comprehends Eternity in it selfe in which the Quickest Sight is lost in an Vnfathom'd Light Doctrine THe words of my Text being thus opened doe again wrap up their full sense in this Doctrine The Eminent Thing of the World is The Comming of our Lord Iesus into the world This Doctrine empties it Selfe by these Four Heades 1. The Comming of Christ 2. The Clouds in which He Comes 3. The Clearnesse of His Appearance when He is come 4. The Sweetnesse Flowing from His Presence 1. Head The Comming of Christ This is Two-fold The 1st The 2d Comming 1. The First Comming of our Lord Jesus is Carnall This was then when he took Flesh of the Virgin Mary Now He was made Inferiour to Angels Hebr. 2.9 Now he was made Flesh Iohn 1.14 Now he was laid so low as to be capable of all the Tempâ—â—tions the most bitter the most balefull that can come from Devils or fall on Man yet without sinne Hebr. 4.14 This First Comming was our Saviour's Humiliation to Frailty Guilt Shame Horrour Death The Mystery now was The Highest God making Himselfe the Lowest of Things Flesh Dust The Deepest Darknesse Thus the First was the Last 2. The Second Comming of our Saviour is Spirituall It is Spirituall in Two Respects 1. His Person 2. His Appearance 1. Person The Person of our Blessed Saviour in his Second Comming is altogether Spirituall and Divine Such as the Person of our Jesus was at His Ascension such is it in His Second Approach to Men What is that Person in which our Saviour sits at the Top of His Ascent You shall read Eph. 4.10 He that Descended is the same that Ascended farre above All Heavens This Ascent doth not so much import a Change of Place as of Person and Proportion When the Lord Jesus was gone up above these Heavens which we see then He was above all Change of Place The Heavens which we do not see the Invisible Part of this Creation is fetter'd with the Chaine of Time but not imprison'd too by a Confinement or Circumscription of Place Our Lord ascended not so much by a Locall Motion as a Spirituall Mutation and Exaltation of His Person As Earth heightned unto a Flame changeth not its Place onely but Forme and Figure So the Person of our Saviour was raised to a Greatnesse a Glory vastly differing from and surmounting Any Image All Images of Things visible or invisible in this Creation So 't is fitly exprest Hebr. 7.29 He was made Higher than the Heavens He was Heigthned to a Splendour Enlarged to a Capacity and Compasse above the Brightest beyond the Widest Heavens Thus we see Negatively what the State of our Saviour's Person was when He was once Ascended It was no more Like to any thing in Earth below or Heaven above It was Remote from All Created Formes of Things Transcending All Farre above All Heavens Our Saviour Himself wil teach us what the Positive State of His Person now was by his Prayer for it Iohn 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with Thy Selfe with that Glory which I had with Thee before the World was Our Lord prayes and His Prayer is both a Prophesie and the Performance begun that His Divine Nature may be both the Center and Circle to His Humanity inwardly enlivening outwardly clothing and fashioning it that his Man-hood may be after his Death at His Ascension in that same Image and Appearance in which the God-head was to it selfe before any thing else was Saint Paul points out to us that as Perfect which
on the Booke I saw and behold a White Horse and He that sate on Him had a Bow and a Crowne was given Him and He went forth Conquering and to Conquer The Booke is the Image of God the Seven Seales the Naturall Formes of Things The Opening of the Seales by the Lamb His Comming forth in the Spirit I will finish this Head with that place of Scripture 1 Cor. 15.45 The First Man Adam was made a Living Soule the Last Man was made a Quickning Spirit Our Blessed Lord in his Second Appearance comes into the World as a Soule comes downe into the Body The Soule comes downe upon the Body clothing it with a new Shape Life and Lustre So Jesus Christ descends upon the World to Comprehend to Act it to Appeare in it to Gather it up into One Spirit of Beauty and Immortality in Himselfe So shall the Heavenly Man sprout forth thorough the Earth as an Vniversall Paradise sending forth all Earthly Formes as Revived Plants by a New Growth out of Himselfe Then shall All Without the Circle of this Spirituall Person this Quickning Spirit be Death and Hell a Hell for Dogs and Devils each foule false and fiery Spirit I have now passed through the First Head The Comming of Christ 2. Head The Clouds in which Christ comes These Clouds are of Foure Sorts 1. Darknesse 2. Tempests 3. Worldly Changes 4. Angels 1. Clouds of Darknesse Clouds are used in This Sense as the Springs and Seats of Darknesse So they furnish out and set off the Comming of Christ as God into the World Psal. 97.2 Clouds and Darknesse are round about Him A Two-fold Darknesse surrounds our Saviours Person as He flides downe in a Glory upon the Earth 1. From His owne Will 2. From the World 1. Darknesse From His owne Will David in the 18. Psalme is confest by All to speak of His owne Deliverances Literally but of Christs Last Comming Mystically and Prophetically ver. 11. He made Darknesse His Secret Place His Pavilion round about Him were Dark Waters Thick Clouds of the Sky The Prince in the Poet wrapt about with a Thick and Darke Ayre entred into Carthage passed thorow the Court into the presence of the Queene there stood in the midst of them unperceived while they speak of Him as absent Lament him as lost till the Fire purified it selfe into a Clearnesse So the Great Prince of Peace and Spirits as He comes forth casts a Cloud about Him so He comes on upon us so He encompasseth us is still in Motion Yet still we speak of Him as far above and beyond the Starry Sky and of His Comming as at a Great Distance But Behold He is already in the midst of us He breaks forth on our Right hand and on our Left like a Flame round about us and we perceive Him not 2. Darknesse From the World 1 Thes. 5.2 The Day of the Lord commeth as a Thiefe in the Night 'T is the interposal of the Earth's shadow between the Sunne and our Eyes that makes Night The Devill benights Man-kind by interposing this shadowie world betweene their Saviour and their Soules In this Night he rocks them into a Sleep by a perpetuall Motion of vanities In this Sleep he deludes them with Dreames of Reason Counterfeit Images of Truth Now in this Night Sleep and Dreame the Day of Christ's appearance appeares not but as a Fancy or Dotage All things seem to continue as they were from the Beginning Where say they is the Promise of His Comming They discerne no Dawning of it All the Powers and Spirits of Darknesse hate the Light and Christ because He comes as the Light to increase and inflame their Darknesse They therefore Strive to raise Mists upon this Rising Glory that they may stain it if they cannot stop its Course So the Progresse of Christ is to the greatest part of Men like the Motion of the Sunne in a Winter day when 't is hard to perceive the Day-break or distinguish between Day and Night This is the First sort of Clouds Dark Ones 2. Clouds of Tempests Clouds are the Womb in which Tempests are bred and the Cradle in which they are rock't No Painter no Poet no Writer Holy or Profane hath any thing anywhere so Direfull so Tragicall as is the Description of our Saviours second Comming in the Scriptures Can you cast your eye on the eighteenth Psalm and not tremble when you see there the Earth Shaking and Trembling v. 7. a Fire Devouring v. 8. The Heavens bowing Down-ward v. 9. Thick Clouds darkning the Sky Thunders Lightnings Hail-stones flying through the Ayre The Foundations of the world below discover'd v. 11 12 13 14 15. Thus the Mighry God our Jesus descends Again Psa 97. Hils Melting The Earth Trembling Lightnings flashing thorow the Ayre and being its onely Light Dark Clouds environing all This is the Scene of Things This the State in which Christ comes forth Behold Habakkuk with quivering Lips trembling joynts bones mouldring into dust when he had onely a Prophetick Representation of our Saviours second Appearance All the Dreadfull things that attended the Presence of God in Aegypt at the Red Sea on Mount Sinai thorow the wildernesse are made but Types but shadows of this Terrible March of the Capteine of the Lords Hosts Christ in the Spirit thorow all Flesh Habak. 3. A wise Jew was wont to say from a Deep fore-sight of the Blacknesse of this Day The Messias will come but Lord let not me live to see His Comming The Comming of our Saviour in the Spirit is for the Full Dissolution of all Flesh 'T is no wonder then if every step he takes as he comes along strike earthquakes pestilences warres desolations thorow the Earth This is the second sort of Cloudes Tempestuous Ones 3. Clouds of Worldly Changes The Finest Piece of this Creation Naturall Flesh of Christ Himself is cal'd A Vail Heb. 10.11 A Living way through the vail his Flesh Well may we then call all other Fleshly Things Vailes and Clouds Gen. 1.2 The Creation in its first Principles is Figured out to us as a Dark and Deep Sea Each particular Creature is as a Cloud raised out of this Sea of Darknesse over-cast with Light and Images When the Temple was finish't which was an Earthly Palace shadowing out Heaven fil'd with all Excellencyes as Pictures of Heavenly Glories then Solomon saith to God 1 Kin. 8.12 Thou dwellest in Thick Darknesse Signifying that the Brightest Beauties of Nature are True Clouds In the midst of this Darknesse our Saviour passeth on upon the backs of these Clouds he comes riding along Behind the visible Formes of things He hides Himselfe and steales in upon us ere we be aware All Their Motions are His Approaches Mat. 24. The Disciples ask their Master What should be the signes of His Comming He relates by way of Prophesie the whole story of the World Publike in Nations Particular in Families Private in single Persons From His death to that
Sense of the utmost good or ill of this Kingdome first your Parent now your Foster-child If you have any Sense of your own Safeties your Soules your immortalitie any thing Send up a strong and secret groane which God may heare and say within you O! that the Lord Jesus that All-quickning Spirit would descend into our Spirits and become a Spring of Divine sorrowes there Then should our Teares be as His Blood O! that the Lord Jesus the Highest Image of Love and Beauty the most profaned and persecuted would set Himselfe before our eyes Then should we know Why and How to weep then should we weep indeed If our Dear Saviour would make his Arms our Crosse that we might from thence offer our Broken Hearts in Sacrifice to the Father then would our God smell a sweet Savour of Rest in us and at length give us Rest in Himselfe This is the second Consideration in the Preparative 2. The Vse This is A Humiliation from a Three-fold Ground 1. Insensiblenesse in our Spirits of our Saviour's Approach 2. Unsuitablenesse in our Counsailes to the Course of His Comming 3. Enmity in our Affections to the Intent of His Comming 1st Ground Insensiblenesse Is not the Comming of Christ that by which God designes to make Himselfe Admired among His Saints as Saint Paul testifies 2 Thes. 1.10 When He shall come to be Glorified in His Saints and Admired c. Is not this that at which All the Angels of God bow themselves and worship Heb. 1.6 When He bringeth His First-begotten Againe into the world He saith Let All the Angels of God worship Him Is not this the Grand Wheel which moves All the Centrall Motion which carries about Persons Kingdomes the whole Creation Heb. 1.7 When Christ comes the second Time God saith of the Angels He hath made His Angels Spirits His Ministers a Flame of Fire All Angelicall or Elementary Instruments of Motion are but His Ministers propagating His Motions thorow the world Can This be thus and we Ignorant or Insensible of This Comming of Christ without the Highest sinne against God the Kingdome our own safeties Let us then endeavour to apply this use to our selves more properly and powerfully by a Three-fold Enquiry concerning this first Ground of Humiliation Have we seen Iesus Christ as he Comes among the Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 Saint Paul tels us now This is the Greatest Mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Behold Jesus Christ as God puts forth Himselfe in the Forme of Flesh of the Creature and over-spreads that Form or Flesh with the Glory and Spirit of the God-head Thus He shines forth already upon the One Half of Things the Invisible Part He already is risen upon the Angels as Starres at once gathering them up into His Divine Light and riding forth upon their Beames So each Starre now carryes forth a Sun along with it Each Angel the Son of man and God Saint Paul tels us Colos. 2.10 that Christ is the Head of All Principality and Power Our Lord Jesus cloth'd with the Glory of His Father hath united Himselfe to the Acting Principles and Ruling Powers of this Creation Now He Flames forth thorow these invisible Fires into all Courts Campes or Counsailes into every Frame of things Now He flyes abroad upon the Backs of these Cherubims and the Wings of these Winds into the Breast of each Man into the Bosome of each Creature We reade Colos. 2.15 Having spoyled Principalities and Powers He made a Shew of them Openly Triumphing over Them See the Lord Jesus binding Evill Spirits the Powers of This world in straiter Chaines of Darknesse leading them Captives at the Taile of His Chariot making them His Slaves to Serve Him for Executioners as the Mutes doe the Great Turke to raine downe Snares Tempests Fire and Brimstone on His Enemies Have you seene the Lord thus mounted on His Horses of Fire Like the Sun like a Champion comming forth to run His Race from one end of Things to the Other Are you come to this Mount Sion where the Mediatour appears with God in the midst of His innumerable Angels If you be Strangers to such Sights then Mourn For you are yet at Mount Sinai in the midst of Clouds and Stormes You are still in a Wildernesse full of Fiery Serpents where every Step you take may be to a Death As you Mourn Pray Sweet Iesus Shine Sweet Iesus Come thou as the Day-spring from on High upon us Change the Appearance Open to us this New Frame of Angels Glories covering the World like Clouds and thy Glories raised on These Have you Seen the Lord Iesus Comming in the Spirits of Men on Earth This is the 2. Step of our Saviour's Descent from the Bosome of the Father We are taught Luke 17.20 21. that The Kingdome of God commeth not with Observation For the Kingdome of God is within You. The Glory of the Father in which Christ Comes is the Kingdome of God This is not obvious to Sence or Reason grounded upon Sence For it comes not their way from without It bubbles up from an inward Spring like Life From within it Enlarges it Selfe as Circles from the Center the Out-most being Last This is the Method by which our Saviour comes Spiritually into the world First the Godhead opens it Selfe upon the Humane Nature of Christ making that the First-fruits of the whole Creation Colos. 1.18 Secondly the Lord Jesus with this over-spreading Glory comes downe upon the Angels making them the First-fruits of Spirits The Third Step which He takes is through the Angels into the Souls of Mortall Men In these He plants Himselfe as a Throne Circled in with the various Beauties of Angels like the diverse-Coloured Raine-bow Revel. 4.3 Thus these become the First-fruits of Men Rom. 8.23 The Fourth Remove is upon the Bodies of the Saints that they may be the First-fruits of Bodies The Last is the Passing of the Lord Jesus from the Bodies of the Saints into the whole Frame of Visible Things as a Flame still taking hold of Neighbouring Fuell Still Catching and Infolding it selfe thorow All Things By these Degrees the Lord Descends in Glorious State and as He Descends Transfigures all Things into the Same Glory The Comming of Christ is Compared to the Day 1 Thes. 5.5 Ye are Children of the Day And so 2 Pet. 1.1 Till the Day dawne The Lord Jesus as He riseth like a Sun upon the World first diffuseth Himselfe through the Skie of the Angelicall Nature Then falls as a Glory upon the Tops of the Mountaines the Higher Parts of the Earth the Soules of Men From thence He slides downe into Plaines and Lower Valleies The Bodily Part of Things Unhappy He That Sees not the Comming of Christ into His own Soul What is it which He Sees not He Sees not the Sweetnesse in His Saviour's Eyes A Forgiving A Melting A Molding A Ravishing Sweetnesse A Sweetnesse that freely Forgives