which followes the Spirit breaks forth and saith Amen Even so come Lord Iesus A little of Amen Christ is said in the beginning of this Booke to be Amen the true and faithfull Witnesse Revel 3. 14. And all the Promises are said in Christ Iesus to be Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. that is they are made for his sake and performed for his sake They are made in him and for him and they are performed in him and for him And when AMEN that is Christ himselfe shall say his Amen to any thing is it so much for us to give our Amen The point I meane to rayse out of this word Amen is this That the hearts of the Children of God are plyable to Divine Truths to yeeld to the whole Word of God especially to the good Word of God viz. the Promises and of all Promises to the Promise of Promises the second comming of Christ. They say Amen to that and that for these Reasons Because there is a sutablenesse of disposition and a kind of connaturalnesse betweene a sanctified heart and sanctified Truths betweene an holy heart and holy things insomuch that if an holy Truth never heard of before be heard by an holy heart it will yeeld present assent for his heart is subdued so that he hath an Amen for it presently There is a sweet relish in all Divine Truths and sutable to the sweetnesse in them there is a spirituall taste which the Spirit of God puts into the soule of his children Though there be never so much sweetnesse in things if there be not a sutable taste there is no relish in them Therefore the Spirit of God in his children works a taste of the sweetnesse that is in the Word of God And that is a maine ground why they say Amen especially to comfortable Truths Againe when the soule is once contracted unto God it hath no will of its owne but it yeelds up his will to Gods will The Spouse hath no will of her owne but her Husbands will is her will So if Christ say Amen I come quickly the Spouse of Christ saith Amen too God deales with his children likewise by way of a covenant and a contract And above all other covenants the covenant of a contract is the sweetest covenant Now in it there must be a consent on our part and therefore it is that the Spirit alwayes stirres up an Amen on our parts too When he saith Amen it shall be so then the soule saith Amen Lord let it be so As in civill Marriage there is a contract so here in the spirituall and seeing there is a contract there is also an assent to the second comming of Christ the contracted Spouse must needes say Amen to the Marriage-day Lastly the Spirit of God in the hearts of his children stirres up in them this Amen as a seale of their effectuall calling If you should aske me what effectuall calling is I answer It is nothing else but the hearts Eccho and answer to Gods speech God calls and we answer This is by S. Peter called The answer of a good Conscience There must be in the soule the answer of a good Conscience to all Divine Truths Doest thou beleeve I doe beleeve Doest thou repent I doe repent Seeke ye my face Thy face Lord will I seeke Returne ye back-sliding children and I will heale your back-slidings Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Unlesse there be thus the answer of a good Conscience there is no effectuall calling Our calling is then effectuall when the Spirit stirres up in the heart an answer unto it Therefore you see there must needes be an Amen wrought in the hearts of the children of God Beloved if this be so I beseech you let us begge of God if we finde any stubbornnesse or renitencie in our soules to Divine Truths the performance of the covenant of grace Lord thou hast promised fleshy and sensible hearts tender and yeelding affections oh now grant them and worke them For beloved this you must know howsoever God deales with us by way of covenant yet when he comes to performe the covenant hee workes in a manner our part and his owne too In effect hee makes a Testament and not a covenant In a Testament we bequeath we doe not covenant and condition So that though God deales with his people by way of covenant as if you repent if you beleeve if you obey yet he gives by way of Testament the grace that he bestowes Therefore begge of God that as he requires this condition that wee should assent and be plyable unto his Word so that he would make his covenant a Testament and a Will I meane that he would effectually worke it and make us to doe it This should be our desire of God And so much the rather first because God honours us by it in having our consent Is not this a great honour to us that he will not performe things without our consent For indeed hee will not accomplish the worke of our everlasting salvation without it But then if we set our Seales to Gods Seale and we consent once we even binde God himselfe when he seales to us and we to him we binde God Almightie and by that power of Faith subdue Hell and all our opposite enemies When we seale to the Truth of God and cry Amen it is a word that fills Heaven and Earth there is not a joyfuller word in the world then when whole Congregations can say and shout Amen When God sayes Amen in Heaven if we presently can say Amen to his Truth upon Earth he will say Amen to our Salvation Thus God honours us by it when hee comes for our consent Wee honour God againe by our sealing to his Truth Faith is that which seales to Gods Truth and Amen is the very voyce of Faith It is a pittifull thing but common in the world that GOD should have no more credit with us Poore distressed Soules will say Amen to the Lyes of their owne hearts and presumptuous persons will say Amen to a Lyar to a Murtherer to an Enemie to Satan but God hath so little credit with us that if hee command wee will not say Amen if hee pro mise wee have no Amen for him if hee threaten wee blesse our selves saying Wee shall doe well enough Wee shall have peace though wee walke after the imagination of our owne hearts adding drunkennesse unto thirst When the Spirit of God sayth Hee will stirre up a fire in his anger and his wrath shall burne unto the lowest Hell against all such as goe on in their sinfull courses yet they will flatter themselves Well beloved wee may shake off Gods Word in the Ministerie as prophane persons doe but when God comes in the execution of his Threatnings then his wrath shall burne to Hell and not be quenched Who can avoid or abide that
Where the treasure is there will the heart be 51 Rea. 5. The members are carried to union with the head 52 Rea. 6. By comparing it with glory here in sundry particulars 56 Rea. 7. From the state of the Church at the best in this World in regard of troubles without 64. and corruptions within 68 Tryalls of our desires for the second comming of Christ. Tryall 1. By seeing what benefit we have by the first comming of Christ. 70 Tryall 2. By our preparing for it 73 Tryall 3. Whether our hearts be the Kingdome of Christ now 74 Tryall 4. By our holy exercises 77 Directions inabling us to utter this desire and prayer Direct 1. 1. Labour to be reconciled to God 81 2. Labour to grow in the new Creature 83 3. Be sure to do what you doe throughly and quickly 85 4. Take all advantages to helpe this desire and prayer from crosses and Satan 92 Two objections answered 1. Object I find I am not so desirous of the comming of Christ as I ought 9â— 2. Object But I desire to live still 97 A pressing exhortation to long for the second comming of Christ and from thence also to quicken our selves in our Christian work 98 A conclusion Upon the particular occasion 111 THE BRIDEGROOMES PROMISE And The BRIDES Prayer REVEL 22. 20. Hee which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Iesus AS the Church of God being the weakest and the most shiftlesse part of mankind is never without trouble in this world so God would never have it to be without comfort And therefore God reveales unto Christ in this Booke and Christ unto the Angel and the Angel unto Iohn things to come from the Ascension of Christ unto his second comming that so in all conditions of the Church the Church might have recourse unto this Booke to see what the issue of all would be This is their comfort that howsoever things may be carryed in this world in a seeming confusion in a cloud and in a Mysterie yet in conclusion all shall end well on the Churches side their trouble shall end in Peace their abasement in Glory and their conflict in a Crowne This we may see here verified This Revelation doth end in the description of the glorious condition of the Church In the two last Chapters as I take it the Evangelist Saint Iohn sets downe the glorious estate of the Church of God even in this world yet so as it shall end and be consummate in perfect glory in the world to come For the soule of a Christian like Noahs Dove cannot rest in any glory here till it returne to the Arke till it come to the enjoyment of perfect glory and have blissefull communion with Christ for ever and ever in Heaven And therefore Christ doth terminate and end the sweetnesse of his Promises in Heaven and at his last comming and the Church likewise stretcheth and rayseth up her desires to that Howsoever there shall be glorious times and things here yet these are but as the first fruits to the whole Harvest and as a drop unto the Ocean Therefore when you reade of a glorious estate of the Church to be here upon Earth your mindes must have recourse to the upshot and consummation of all in Heaven Ierusalem which is from above must lead us to Ierusalem which is above Now because that mans unbeleeving heart is too prone to thinke that these things are too good to be true and too great to be performed seeing such an immeasurable disproportion betweene his owne unworthinesse and the excellencie of the things promised hereupon the mercie of our blessed Saviour is such that he confirmes this his second glorious comming by all kind of Witnesses that may be Here is the Angel Verse 6. Christ himselfe Verse 7. The Spouse and the Spirit in the Spouse Verse 17. And Christ himselfe againe in the words before the Text Behold I come quickly then you have the Spouses answer Amen even so come Lord Iesus Beloved Faith is a supernaturall thing it hath no friend within us it hath no helpe no cause in the world except God himselfe therefore it hath need of all confirmation God knowes us and our needs better then we doe our selves and you see he useth confirmation to helpe our unbeleefe And besides the Witnesses the thing it selfe is repeated againe and againe three or foure times in this Chapter Vers. 7 12 20. Behold I come quickly And behold I come quickly and Surely I come quickly By every repetition Christ seekes to gaine upon our mis-giving soules Behold I come Now because our spirit is exceeding short and we are readie to crie out as it is in the fixt of this Booke How long Lord holy and true How long Why he answers Behold I come quickly You shall also finde in the Prophesies of the Old Testament the same Promises delivered and repeated againe and againe because of our unbeleefe which ariseth from an inward guilt that cleaves to our Consciences because we are subject to failings and are not so strict as we should be But such are the yerning bowels of our blessed Saviour that it grieves him to see his tender Church afflicted and troubled in mind therefore he helpes all that he can Observe then I beseech you in the words the sweet entercourse that is betweene Christ and his Spouse Christ promiseth againe and againe Behold I come quickly and the Church saith Come Amen Even so come Lord Iesus There is no entercourse in the world so sweet as is that betweene Christ and his Church But wee will come unto the wordes themselves Amen Even so come Lord Iesus In these wordes you have first the assent of the Church secondly the consent her assent to the Truth her consent to the goodnesse of the Truth Amen It is so Nay Amen It shall be so Nay Amen Be it so or Let it be so There is a wishing included in it All these are wrought by the Spirit The Spirit convinceth us both of the Truth and of the goodnesse of the Truth And besides that in the next wordes the same Spirit stirres up a desire and prayer Even so come Lord Iesus Holy desires are turned into fervent prayers Amen is a short word but marvelously pregnant full of sense full of spirit It is a word that seales all the Truths of God that seales every particular Promise of God And it is never likely to arise in the soule unlesse there be first an Almightie power from Heaven to seize on the powers of the soule to subdue them and make it say Amen There is such an inward rising of the heart and an innate rebellion against the blessed Truth of God that unlesse God by his strong Arme bring the heart downe it never will nor can say Amen But now the heart will not be pent in or restrayned the Spirit is an enlarging thing and therefore besides Amen though Amen includes that
dreadfull Sentence Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Gods words are not as Winde Indeed they are such a Winde as will blow downe all impenitent sinners to Hell Wee must have a Legall Amen to the Threatnings of God as well as an Evangelicall Amen to the sweet Promises S. Iohn here by the Spirit of God saith Amen to the Promises of the time to come to wit for the confusion of Antichrist for the conversion of the Iewes and for the glorious times to come though he sees no evidence thereof for the present and so must we to all Divine Truths But wee have another kind and companie of men that must be taxed that have indeed an Amen and a Seale but it is to a blank They are presumptuous persons and such which is worse as will have God to say Amen to their courses They will be naught and sinfull and then studie and strive to bring Gods Word to stand bent to their bow and so in their lying conceit make God say Amen to their Lusts. They account it not sufficient to have their will but they will have God to be of their mind too and they will alwayes get some daubers that shall say Goe on and prosper An Ahab will alwayes have his false Prophets What a wicked thing is this that wee should make an Idoll of God and transforme him into the likenesse of Satan his Enemie To make him like that which he hates most We will continue in our sinfull courses and make as though we had the Word of God for us and oh we have the judgement of such and such and thus boulster up our selves by building upon such sandie foundations When wee should bring up our soules and resigne them to God and his Spirit wee will bring God downe to our bent and make him to say this and that agreeable to our carnall reason and corrupt affections But I must not enlarge my selfe in this In a word therefore to conclude this point As there is a sweet harmonie in Gods Truth so let there be a harmonie in our hearts thereunto Gods Truth alwayes agrees with it selfe oh let our hearts agree with it When we heare a Threatning a Precept or a Promise oh let us say Amen It is the sweetest harmonie in the world when we can bring our hearts to close with God and his Word with his Spirit and Truth when we can be delivered into that forme of Doctrine which is delivered unto us But now I goe on Even so come Lord Iesus Wee come from the assent unto the consent yeelding unto that which Christ said as true and good We come unto the desire and prayer of the Church Even so come Lord Iesus Amen is an Hebrew word and it is still retained to shew the consent of the Christian Church with the Iewish both with that which was before and with that which shall be afterward And it is expressed and opened here by a word following Yea or Even so come Lord Iesus You see the Church desires and out of her desire prayes Come Lord Iesus Now this desire of the Church shewes the gracious disposition of the Church These desires are the breathings and motions of the Spirit in the soule tending to further union Even as motion tends to rest so desires tend to the uniting unto the thing desired The Churches desires here are the immediate issue of the soule and therefore undissembled and they shew the true character of a Christian soule We may dissemble words and actions but we cannot dissemble our desires and affections we may paint fire but we cannot paint heat Therefore God judgeth us more by our desires and affections then by our words and actions Now you may know that our desires are holy and good if so be that they be heavenly for then it is a signe that they come downe from Heaven even as a Spring will arise and ascend as high as the Spring Head whence it comes If our desires rise to Heaven as the Churches here doe then it is a signe they come downe from Heaven Our desires are as a streame which I will shew you by prosecuting that metaphor and allusion in sundry particulars A good Streame hath a good Spring so must our desires The Spring of the Churches desires here is Love shee loves Christ and therefore desires him to come quickly A Streame you know carryes all before it so our desires are an holy Streame issuing from a good Spring and carrying all before them They are efficacious not a meere velleitie as they say a bare wishing and woulding A Streame if it be stopped will swell till it breake downe all opposition and carry all before it so let a good desire be stopt and it will swell more and more and grow bigger and bigger till it makes way for it selfe A Streame is restlesse and incessant till it meet with the Ocean and emptie it selfe into the Sea so true and holy desires be restlesse and alwayes in motion They are not like a standing Poole that rests but they are in motion still till they have emptied themselves into the boundlesse and bottomelesse Ocean of endlesse pleasure As true Streames that arise from a Fountaine doe waxe bigger and bigger the neerer they come to the Ocean because other Rivers joyne with them and so they take advantage and augmentation by other streames that run into them so if our desires be true they are growing desires they encrease bigger and bigger still till they come to Heaven At length we see the Streames emptie themselves into the Sea they are swallowed up there where they have a more constant being then in themselves namely of the Ocean the true element and proper place of all waters and so our desires if they be holy as they are restlesse and growing so at last they emptie themselves into Christ and joynes with God and happinesse for the time to come for there is a greater happinesse for the soules of men in God in Christ and in Heaven then there is in themselves and there they are swallowed up Lastly we may trie our desires by this Vapours in a low place doe shew that there is a Spring there you know that the Springs are there where there are most Vapours constantly so where there be breathings of the soule upward as there is here of the Church surely there is a Spring of Love that yeelds these Vapours and whence these desires flow But I come more particularly unto this particular desire of the Church Come Lord Iesus I shall make way by some propositions which I shall praemise before I come to the maine thing which I shall stand upon at this time First we must take it for granted That there will be a second glorious comming of Christ that will be farre more glorious then the former The best times and things are to come for Christians every way every day
they rise they are neerer to their happinesse Againe we must know this That a Christian if he hath true Faith in the times to come he will have answerable desires and correspondent prayers For beloved there is alwayes an harmonie betweene the heart and the braine betweene the understanding and the will and affections What we assent to as true and consent to as good that we shall both desire and pray for Therefore if you know there will be a glorious comming of Christ and if you assent to it that the best times are yet to come surely there will be this prayer too There is alway a sweet agreement and harmonie betweene a sound convinced knowledge and gracious affections Hence it is that in Scripture what we doe not wish and affect we are said not to know We see not things in their proper light when wee know and affect them not but we have received them onely by tradition from others But when we see proper things with a proper light spirituall things with a spirituall light then there will be alwayes prayers desires accordingly As the Church here after Amen Even so there is the desire Come Lord Iesus there is her prayer And therefore we may know whether our knowledge be spirituall or not by this if the heart be subdued to yeeld unto it Otherwise the heart will swell when it comes to petition and to particular Truths what shall I yeeld to this No I have heard of this by the hearing of the eare but I know not whether it be true or not I have heard much talke of the Scriptures but when the Scripture comes to crosse a man in this or that particular lust then if his knowledge be not spirituall his heart will rise and swell against it and begin to call into question and doubt yea and to thinke it folly and a base thing for a man to yeeld to it I am sure of my pleasures I am sure of my profits but I am not sure whether this be true or no And thus the heart of an Atheist comes to stand out because his knowledge is not spirituall But if it be then it carryes an assent to it with it and a desire drawne into a prayer Againe you must know this before we come unto the maine point That a gracious heart turneth promises into desires and prayers The Promise was I come quickly Here Faith claspes about the Promise as a Vine about the Elme and saith Come Lord Iesw Faith puts the Promise into suit presently Christ had no sooner said I come quickly but the Spirit of Faith saith Nay come Lord Iesus But then we must be sure that we have a Promise out of the Word of God Faith hath no Amen for the word of a man or for any thing else but the Word of God and when it fastens upon that as it doth here you see it turnes it into a holy desire and prayer Come Lord Iesus Beloved wee beleeve not the Promises as wee should doe else wee would doe so Wee have rich exceeding great and precious Promises but where is our rich exceeding great and precious Faith to lay hold upon them and to turne them presently into suites desires and prayers Thus if wee would doe wee should binde God with his owne Word hee cannot denie himselfe or falsifie his Truth You see againe That the more assured one is of any thing the more effectually it will make him to pray An Atheisticall heart would say thus Such a thing will be Christ will come whether I pray or no what need I pray then Nay therefore pray because he will come I come quickly Therefore Even so come Lord Iesus Christ himselfe was fully assured that his Father would grant him all that he prayed for I know that thou hearest me alwayes saith he yet you see what an heavenly prayer he makes Iohn 17. Nay God bids him doe it Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance c. Christ himselfe must aske before God will give him the uttermost parts of the Earth for his possession So Ezek. 36. where you have the Covenant of Grace it selfe with many Promises attending it to all which it is added Vers. 37. Yet for all these things will I be enquired of by the House of Israel saith the Lord. Though hee had made great Promises to his Church yet he must be prayed to for the performance of them He will have things received as fruits of our prayer as well as of his Promise and providence We cannot be so thankefull for things that come onely as fruits of his providence as when wee looke upon them as fruits of our prayers David was a King of prayers but Saul came by providence onely and by the peoples importunitie whether was the more blessed Oh then my brethren though wee be never so much assured of things to come yet let us joyne prayer thereto for the assurance of the end will stirre us up to the carefull use of the meanes None are so carefull of the latter as they who are most assured of the former witnesse the Church here The next thing I shall premise as making way for that that I meane more fully to speake of is this That Gods Promises have graduall performances They are made good by degrees God goes by many steps to the performance of his great Promises As here the Promise of Christs second glorious comming hath many degrees to the accomplishment thereof So God promises a new Heaven and a new Earth That was one degree of the performance hereof when the Iewes came out of Captivitie It had a second degree of performance when Christ came in the flesh Then all things were new there was a new Priest a new Sabbath a new Nation So when the Gentiles were called and came in it had a third gra'duall performance When the Iewes shall be called when there shall be a resurrection from the dead as it were then all things shall be new that was a fourth And the last and full performance shall be when all things shall be new indeed that is when there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth So this Promise here Come Lord Iesus it hath a latitude and bredth of performance Come Lord into our hearts first and set up thy Kingdome and Scepter there subdue all therein unto thy selfe throw downe all lusts thrust out Satan take thine owne interest in us And then come into thy Church as you have it Mark 9. 1. There is a powerfull comming of Christ in the Gospel therein the Kingdome of God comes with Power Come thus in the Ministerie of thy Word When Christ was bodily ascended up into Heaven hee came spiritually in his Ordinances And thus come thou by thy Spirit And then come to blast Antichrist and to consume that Man of Sinne and so make way for the other degree of thy comming Come in the fulnesse
of the Gentiles come in the conversion of thy people of the Iewes that their Riches may be an encrease of our Riches that there may be golden times indeed as surely then they will be And then because there is a certaine number of the Elect of God which must bee accomplished and fulfilled and Christ will delay his last comming till that be done Therefore Come and accomplish the number of thine Elect as you have it Revel 6. 11. And white Robes were given to everie one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled They must stay till the rest come in As they that have invited a companie of Strangers to a Feast doe stay till the last be come so there will not be a glorious comming of Christ untill all the Elect be gathered into one Body And then shall be the Comming of all Commings which is the glorious comming of Christ to take us to himselfe and to make us sit with him to judge the World as so many Kings and Judges of the World and to be with him for ever As the Apostle saith Then shall we be ever with the Lord. And that is a comfort indeed As hee addes there Wherefore comfort one another with these words And so you see the graduall performance thereof Now I come unto the last and that which I meane most to stand upon being a blessed Truth most suteable to this occasion That as it is the dutie so it is the disposition of a gracious heart to aesire the glorious comming of Christ Iesus and to desire all his other commings in way and order to this as they make way for his last comming In the unfoulding of this I shall shew you the grounds and reasons why the Church doth so and then make some tryals whether we doe so or no and then give you some few directions to help us therein Why doth the Church desire so much this second and glorious comming of Christ Because the Church is in want till that time and the ground of all desire is want Wee want our bodies wee want many of our friends c. But then there shall be a supply of all Because our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall wee also appeare with him in Glory Col. 3. 3 4. Our glorious head is there already when he shall be revealed then our glory shall be revealed for Hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all those that doe believe In regard of Christ himselfe Christ is in some sort imperfect till the latter day till his second comming for the mysticall body of Christ is his fulnesse Christ is our fulnesse and wee are his fulnesse now Christs fulnesse is made up when all the members of his mystical body are gathered and united together the head and the members make but one naturall body so Christ and the Church but one mysticall 1 Cor. 12. 12. As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. Hence it is that the Saints are called the glory of Christ Christ in this sense is not fully glorious therefore till that time The church desires therfore that Christ may bee glorious in himselfe glorious in them that hee may come to bee glorious in his Saints Because where the treasure is there will the heart be also now where is the Churches treasure but in Christ Our spirits are supernaturall and carried to the best of Spirits and who is the best of spirits but Christ himselfe Because the members are carried to union with the head The happinesse of the Soule is in union with the fountaine of happinesse and the neerer the fountaine of happinesse the more happy what is it that makes the blessed body of Christ more happy then all the Angels and men but because it is hypostatically united to the second Person of the Trinity and so to the fountaine of the God-head the neerer to God the happier the fuller of grace and glory because he is the God of all grace and glory therefore the neerer to Christ the more happy Now after the resurrection we shall be nearer both in soule and body wee may see this by the contrary What is it that makes Hell so horrible because there is an utter and eternall separation from the chiefest and choicest good God himselfe Here the wicked men of the world have the presence of God in the creatures they taste the sweetnesse of Gods goodnesse in them but in Hell they shall have none to all eternity there shal be an utter separation betweene Christ and them But now the joyning to God the fountaine of all good in Heaven makes Heaven to bee Heaven indeed if Christ was not there Heaven would bee no Heaven therfore Paul saith I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ and so the Church here Come LORD JESUS then we shall be neare not in soul onely but also in body and soule and in both we shall be for ever joyned to the fountaine of all good It is that which the Church desires here and in the Canticles what is it that the Church prayes for in the beginning Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lips c. There she desires the first comming of Christ but you have it afterwards in the conclusion of the booke make haste my beloved and be thou like to the young Hart or Roe upon the mountaine of Spices Such is the disposition of the Church that before Christ was come good people were knowne by the desire of his comming And therefore it was the description of holy men that they waited for the consolation of Israel Oh Lord come quickly come in the flesh But now the first comming is past they desire as much his second comming and therefore they are described in the Epistle of Saint Paul to be such as love and long for the appearing of Christ a Crowne of Righteousnesse is laid up for all those that love his appearance Therefore if wee had the Spirit of the Church we would Eccho to Christ when he saith I come quickly and say make haste my beloved c. As the Church saith in the latter end of the Canticles Beloved doe but compare the glory of that time with the glory which we have here and and that wil shew another Reason I will shew it by way of comparison a little why the Church should bee desirous of the second comming of Christ. If the good things that we have by grace here are such as eye hath not seene or eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man to consider of for the place is meant
cause strength and comfort in all our sufferings and in all our doings if our hearts doe thinke with the Spirit and thought of Faith of this glorious appearing of Christ therfore we should shame our selves what can I heare of these things and bee no more affected with them then I am thus we should complane of the deadnesse and dulnesse of our hearts and labour to worke our hearts to an admiration of the excellencies that shall be revealed then But I goe on and come in the last place to some few directions how wee should come to frame our selves to this to bee able to utter this desire and prayer Labour to bee reconciled to God Maintaine and preserve thy peace and reconciliation with God and then all things will be reconciled unto us that are betweene us and the second comming of Christ. Nay all shall be ours life ours death ours devil ours to help us to heaven when we are at peace with God all shall be at peace with us and then we may have comfortable thoughts of that day then wee can thinke of death and not be troubled of hell and Godswrath and not bee disquieted Therefore above all let us get the assurance of the grand point of justification of being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ Let us be sure to bee found in that and appeare in it to understand that point wel Saint Paul was wonderfull carefull hereof He desires to have it as a seale of the righteousnesse of Faith and to be found in him not having his owne righteousnesse c. As if hee were tender to touch upon Christs glory If wee be cloathed with the Garments of Christs righteousnesse wee may goe through the wrath of God for that alone is wrath-proofe that will pacifie God and pacifie the Conscience too It is a righteousnesse of Gods owne providing and accepting Be sure that you understand it well that you appeare not in your owne but in his and then may you thinke of that day with comfort If wee would thinke of the blessed times that are to come with comfort then let us labour to grow in the New creature to be more and more filled with the fulnesse of God to strive to have more of Christ in us still The more wee have of Christ in us the more shall wee desire his comming to us Let us desire and labour to have all the corners of the heart filled up with the Spirit of Christ our understandings with knowledge our affections with love and delight and our wills with obedience The Scripture calls it being filled with all the fullnesse of God Now the more wee enter into the Kingdome of Heaven by growth in grace here the fitter shall wee be for it and the more shall wee desire it The more suteablenesse there is betweene us and Heaven and the glorious condition to come the more shall wee long after it and rejoyce in the thoughts of it Be sure to doe what you doe quickly and throughly Satan is so wise that hee knowes his time is but short and therefore layes about him with great wrath and furie Oh let us be so wise as to know that our time is but short God himselfe tells us that it is so Our time is a little spot of time cut out betweene two Eternities before and after then let us doe our worke quickly Wee may bee suddenly surprized before wee be aware and as the Tree falleth so it lyes as a man lives so hee dies as Death leaves us so Judgement and the second comming of Christ shall finde us Wee should therefore as the Apostle saith worke out our owne salvation with feare and trembling Manie men when they come to die are troubled about this Oh I have not done so I should have done this and that and have not but I have done amisse I have not throughly repented something is not done that should have beene I have not made mine Evidences sound I have not made my Calling and Election sure Oh my Conscience is troubled and my soule cannot finde that peace in God c. Oh doe you take warning by them and now worke out your salvation with feare and trembling and that upon this ground because the time is short and uncertaine Beloved it is a great errour in us wee thinke of reaping as soone as wee begin to sowe nay wee begin to sowe then when wee should reape Then wee begin to thinke of God and goodnesse when wee lye a dying That should be a time of reaping the comfort of all our former life and to thinke of the time to come with joy Oh what a comfortable thing would it be if wee can with S. Paul looke backward and say I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith c. Hee lookes backe with comfort and therefore hee lookes forward with comfort too From henceforth there is layd up for me a Crowne of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day c. When a Christian man hath done the will of God and lookes back-ward and saith I had a Race to runne and I have runne it I had a Faith to keepe and I have kept it I had a fight to fight and I have fought it and then lookes forward and sees a Crowne of eternall Glory before his eyes what a comfort and ravishing joy will this affoord Whether hee lookes backward or forward all is glorious But if wee be carelesse and negligent and will not worke out our salvation then wee cannot with Hezekiah looke backe with comfort and say to God Lord remember how I have walked before thee in truth and uprightnesse of heart and have done that which was right in thy sight Neither can wee with S. Paul looke forward with any comfort Beloved Heaven is a pure place and requires a great deale of puritie in those that come thither And Christ is holy and glorious Therefore wee must set no measure and pitch to any holinesse in this life but grow still more and more heavenly till wee come to Heaven Therefore the Apostle sets it downe by way of wonderment in the last of S. Peter Seeing all these things shall be dissolved saith hee What saith hee to that He cannot tell what to say therefore hee sayes nothing in particular but in generall what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse Some men will set a measure and stint to themselves and if any goe beyond their measure then they are such and such curious nice and precise c. Why what measure of holinesse should be set to them that looke for the second comming of Christ What manner of persons ought wee to be Hee cannot tell what to say in particular and therefore leaveth it to admiration Wee must not then set up our staffe and put any measure to any perfection here in this
severall fevere churlish Monitours that did put him in mind of his end namely the Stone and the Strangurie In these sore Diseases hee carryed himselfe with wonderfull great patience None did ever heare any words fall from him that witnessed any impatience Toward his end hee considered that hee was now for another and a better place Therefore when hee was invited to Dinner in the House of which hee was in Grayes Inne Saith hee I must Dine in another place When his Sicknesse did seize upon him more sharpely though the paine thereof tooke away a great part of the powers of his Soule yet hee did manifest a great deale of strength of Faith by divers words that fell from him As the Hart brayes after the Rivers of Water so panteth my Soule after thee O God And as the Church doth here Come Lord Iesus come quickly And Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word Hee was displeased with them about him that out of their love to him did recall him by Cordialls out of a Swoone and so protracted his life longer then hee would have had it You keepe me too long from Christ saith hee God is mercifull to me but you are not with many the like And when they heaved up his body his spirit was so strong in him as if hee desired to meet Christ before his time And thus at length this blessed man meekely yeelded up his blessed Soule into the hands of his blessed Saviour that had so dearely bought it sanctified it and sealed it by his holy and blessed Spirit Beloved I thinke there were but few men of later times of whom wee had more and a more generall losse then of this worthy man His Servants lost a kind and loving Master his Children lost a most tender and carefull Father his Friends a true cordiall and hearty friend the Professours of the Law a speciall Ornament of it the Ministers especially a sweet encourager the poore Clients a loving Patron the richer sort a grave wise and judicious Counsellour Religion and Justice a great Supporter the Countrey where hee lived a faithfull Magistrate So that here is the losse of many But what hath hee lost Hee hath attained to that which hee desired so earnestly hee hath joyned himselfe to Christ and left behind him a Monument of Mortalitie the sad remembrance and remainder of him his dead Body Hee hath made an happie change of Earth for Heaven of the companie of men for the companie of perfect Soules and Angels in Heaven of troublesome imployments here for glorious imployments for ever So that hee is no loser Hee hath left behind him likewise another sweet memoriall and remembrance of him as sweet as the Ointment of the Apothecarie unto the Church and people of God Hee lived to end all in the best times that have beene in the Church since the Apostles times all his dayes Hee was borne under the Gospel and lived under the Gospel Hee began to savour the best things even from his youth And God lengthened his dayes very long for the good of us Therefore God miraculously almost preserved his weake worne body It was much that such a spirit should endure in such a body so long under such Diseases But at length being full of dayes and full of honour with all good people God having blessed him in his Children for his Childrens Children inherite his Blessing in the comfort and assurance of an happie change hee yeelded up his blessed Soule and triumphant Spirit into the hands of God whom hee had loved whose Cause hee had owned here in the World in the midst of this sinfull generation and whom hee professed even unto death whose comming hee desired so earnestly where and with whom wee now leave him And for you Beloved that fully know as the Apostle Paul saith his purpose his manner of life his Faith his long suffering his Charitie Patience c. I beseech you let not his memorie die with him but let those Vertues that were in him live in you so long as you live If there be any thing prayse-worthie or of good report as indeed there was much in him thinke on these things If there were any infirmities in him as I thinke there were as few in him as in any man Love hath a Mantle to cover them Hee was a gracious man every way one that adorned the Doctrine and Gospel of Christ in everie thing Therefore I beseech you as the Apostle saith be followers of him as hee was of Christ. Wee must one day give an account to God not onely for what Sermons wee have heard but for the examples of those amongst whom wee have lived how wee have profited by the Lights that God hath set before us in the World whether wee have imitated their examples or no. Wee must give an account for all the good wee might have received not onely by the meanes of salvation but also by the Presidents of worthie persons set before us I beseech you in the bowels of the Lord Jesus thinke on these things and the Peace of God be with you FINIS Imprimatur THO. WYKES Feb. 13. 1637. Rev. 6. 10. Note Note Note Rev. 3. 14. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Doct. 1. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Psal. 27. 8. Ier. 3. 22. Vse Note Mot. 1. Mot. 2. Vse 2. Reproofe of two sorts Deut. 29. 19. Deut. 32. 22. Matth. 25. 41. 2 Rom. 6. 17. Note 2 3 4 5 6 7 Obser. 1. Obser. 2. Obser. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Obser. 4 Ioh. 11. 42. Psal. 2. 8. Obser. 5. Isa. 66. 22. Rom. 11. 15. 2 Thess. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 2. 1 Thess 4. 17 18. Obser. 6 Reason 1. Reason 2. Reas. 3. 1 Cor. 12. 12 2 Cor. 8. 23. 2 Thes. 1. 10. Reas. 4. Mat. 6. 21 Reason 5. Phil. 1. 21. Cant. 1. 2. Cant. 8. 14. Luke 2. 25. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Reason 6. 1 Cor. 29. Rom. 8. 23 Eph. 1. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Phil 4. â— Psi. 16. 11. 2 Thes. 1. 10. Luke 2. 14. Ioh. 8. 59. Luke 1. 44. Math. 17. 4 Luk. 2. 29. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 13. 12 Psal. 119. 1 Ioh. 1. 3. Rom. 8. 21. Heb. 4. 16. Reas. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 6 Mat. 18. 7. Isai. 11. 6. Rom. 7. 24 2 Cor. 127. Tryal 1. Heb. 9. 14. Rom. 8. 23. Tryal 2. Gon. 41. 14. 1 Ioh. 3. 3. Eph. 4. 22 24. Tryal 3. Ioel. 2. 2. Rev. 6. 16. Isa 33. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 22. 2 Thess. 1. Tryal 4 Direct 1. Iob. 5. 23. Hos. 2. 18. Phil. 3. 9. Direct 2. Eph. 3. 19. Direct 3. Rev. 12. 12. 1 Cor. 7. 29. Phil. 2. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. 2 Pet. 3. 11. Direct 4. Obiect Answ. Rom. 8. 23. Matth 6. 11 12. Object Answ. Phil. 1. 23. Act. 13. 36. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Vers. 18. Iob. 17. 45. Heb. 12. 1 1 Tim. 6. 12. 1 Thess. 4. 18 Rev. 22. 12. 2 Tim 4. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Act. 24. 25. Heb. 11. 26. Mar. 8. 38. Object Answ. Psal. 42. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 11 Phil. 4. 8.
to discerne the bad and the more will our love to grace encrease now the more light and life and love the more shall wee bee annoyed carrying about with us this body of sinne and the thorne in the flesh Some corruptions are as grievous to us as a Thorne that rends the flesh And this is the disposition of the best in this life Therefore in regard of the Church and the enemies of it in regard of our selves and every particular Christian in regard of their conflicting and afflicted condition have wee not cause to say Amen come Lord Iesus Thus wee see the grounds which the Church hath to say so Let us now come to the second point to try whether wee can indeed expresse this desire that the spirit of God makes For it is onely the Spirit in the Spouse that saith Come Lord Iesus Let us see whether the Spirit sayes so in us We shall not say much it may be knowne by that which hath bin said in the beginning and it is evident also besides therefore in a word or two Let us try our selves by this what benefit have we by the first comming of Christ by his death and the shedding of his blood Doth that pardon our sinnes Are our Consciences besprinkled by that from dead workes to serve the everliving God Are our hearts set at liberty to goe to the Throne of grace Have we thus any benefit by his first comming Then wee cannot but with a long and longing expectation looke for his second But on the contrary he that hath no good by the first cannot truely desire nor comfortably expect the second comming of Christ for why the second comming is but to make good what is begun here The first is to redeeme our soules the second is to glorifie our bodies If our soules bee not redeemed never look for the redemption of our bodies The first and second comming of Christ are of so neere connexion that oftentimes they are comprised together as the regeneration of our soules the regeneration of our bodies the Adoption of our soules and the Adoption of our bodies the redemption of our soules and the Redemption of our bodies to shew that wheresoever there is the true redemption and Adoption of the Soule there the Redemption and Adoption of the body will follow and an expectation thereof also Christ will be redemption to us when he hath bin redemption to our foules first in the assurance of the pardon of our sinnes Looke then to that first If we desire the second comming of Christ wee will prepare for it If a man sayes he desires to goe to some great person and yet never thinks of any preparation for it it is but a pretended desire if hee doth not put on his best cloathes and fit himselfe for it as Ioseph did for Pharoh so if a man hope for this comming of Christ he will purifie himselfe for it even as hee is pure He will not appeare in his foule cloathes but will put off the old man and put on the new He will fit himselfe as the Bride for the comming of the Bridegroome Beloved if the thoughts of Christs second comming bee not efficatious to worke in the soule a great care to fit and prepare for it it is but a false conceit and lying fancy it is no holy desire examine it by this Whether your heats bee the Kingdome of Christ whether hee rule in your hearts here Do we think to rule with him in Heaven in his Kingdome if wee will not yeeld up our Hearts to bee his Kingdome upon earth No he will come into our hearts before wee shall come to him he will come to rule in us here before we shall ever thinke to come to rule with him in heaven Therefore all they that stand out against the Ordinances of God and will live in sinne against their knowledge and conscience doe they spend any thoughts or wishes on Christs second comming He will come indeed but it will be a day of darknesse and gloominesse unto them Such persons cannot say Come Lord Iesus come quickly but Mountaines come and Rocks come come quickly Fall upon us and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Nothing will be more terrible to such then that Day Fire is the most comfortable thing and the most terrible and so God is most comfortable to his and yet most terrible to such that doe not prepare for his comming Who amongst us saith the Prophet shall dwell winh the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Who shall appeare before Christ To them then that live in their sinnes in this glorious light of the Gospel there is a most terrible threatning even from the comming of Christ. If any man love not the LORD JESUS when he is discovered cleerely in the Gospell Let him be Anathema Maranatha which is a more terrible curse then any is in the Law As the greatest blessings are from the comming of Christ so from the same is the most terrible threatning There is not such a terrible curse in all the Scriptures againe as that is in the Corinthians So that The Lord shall come in flaming fire rendering vengeance to all them that know him not and that obey not the Gospel therefore take heed of this Try it againe by holy exercises They that desire indeed the comming of Christ they exercise themselves much in holinesse they exercise themselves in the beginning of Heaven here upon earth in reading and hearing the Word in the communion of Saints in praying and acquainting themselves with God c. In what else shall we be employed when we come to Heaven There shall bee the perfection of these graces and exercises begun here upon earth Many a prophane wretches heart swells when he coms to prayer or any divine exercise hee is proudly brought up and his heart is not subdued to holy exercises here Heaven will not brooke such and such will not brooke Heaven There is nothing but praising God continually now if you will not endure these holy exercises here what should you doe in Heaven Therefore let us not deceive our own souls I beseech you If we say this truly Come Lord Iesus undoubtedly it will have an influence into our lives it will stirre up all graces in the soule as Faith to lay hold upon it hope to expect it love to embrace it patience to endure any thing for it heavenly-mindednesse to fit and prepare for it faithfulnesse in our callings that wee may make up our accoūts before that time c. There is not a grace of the spirit but it is stirred up and quickned thereby Therfore be not deceived It is impossible that wee should have dead and dull and cold hearts and yet believe this that there is such a glorious time to come undoubtedly it wil inspire and