though we do not see yet have we heard nothing of the ratling of these dry bones let others take it for what they please for my part I take it for a truth and the rather the more because it is the time for them to appear and though they may be hid in the deserts for some time it is not more then what their fathers were in their day who lay still by the space of 37 years in the wildernes of Cadesh and the people of the nations little concerned themselves with them nor they with them Besides what we heard in the year 1665. when there were reports of their stirring it is not impossible to shew you earlier stirrings as we have it recorded of the year 1650. that there was a very great meeting of them in the plains of Ageda where they set up tents and there was a confluence from all parts no lesse then 300 Rabbies that were able to shew their Genealogy and in a very large tent there was an orderly dispute where they did with great ingenuity and candor put the question whether the Messiah was come or not Then came in the Priests and Jesuites with their vicar and their breaden God and made them break up in disorder nay what if I should say unto you that Christ hath shew'd himself to that nation distinctly it is crebly related that he shewed himself in the year 53. in Frankenland upon the cross and that he was there so seen by thousands of spectators with his Angels about him as if that very word of Daniel were in fulfilling and that the Angels were presenting him to the Ancient of days representing that in a visionary way then which is the work of the day still in the hearts of the saints through the intercession of the spirit I speak it only for this my beloved friends for that I know I feel that we need the quickning of this consideration we are amused with the times that we are in and do not know what Israel is to do because we do not know nor discern the times look to it and take heed of security take heed of an unwatchful frame of spirit for these are the days of the son of man The Fifth Sermon Luke 12.35.36 And ye your selves like unto men that look for their Lord when he will return from the wedding THe influence of Christs coming deriving it self from the nearness of it things though great that are remote seem but small and work but little upon us things that are not to be in our day nor in the days of our children we are apt to put off therefore I made it my business in two or three discourses to shew you the nearness of this coming of Christ I shewed it you first by the expiration of the times of the man of sin and Secondly by the signes of Christs coming being fulfilled pitching chiefly upon those signes in Math. 24. And in two other of the Evangelists of the suns being darkned and the moon being turned into blood The third time I shewed you that these are the days of the son of man by several particulars and by something I had spoken devolving our discourse to that point I pitcht upon those words in the 17 of this Gospel Where our saviour speaks of the days of the son of man and paralels them with the days of Noah and Lot which I told you doth intimate to us that there is a tract of time from the expiration of the 42 months of the man of sin to the glorious revelation of the son of man in person from heaven and that this tract of time is called the days of the son of man wherein he is preparing to set forward unto this glorious expedition Now in these days of the son of man I did partly open to you what was to be done and shewed you some figurative delineation of this work by former types and especially in the investing of Solomon into the kingdom I shewed you that before Davids death Solomon was set upon the throne and in opening of those passages we sound them to cast a great light upon some prophetical passages that we meet with in Daniel As about the bringing of the son of man to the Ancient of days which I told you doth very aptly agree with that type of Solomon to David bringing him unto remembrance as I may say which was done by Bathsheba by the advice of Nathan the prophet she goes to David and puts him in minde of his oath and she is seconded by Nathan and thereupon David doth send to anoint Solomon and to set him upon the throne and all this was in Davids life time Now the observation I made from these things was this David you know was a figure of the militant state of Christs kingdom his setting Solomon upon his throne before his own death doth intimate to us that before the militant state is swallowed up as I may say of victory or of the triumphant state of the Church Christ is to be set upon the throne as the succeeding links in a chain do enter into the former links so doth Christs time take hold of the former times even as Jacob took hold of Esau his brother From thence I came in the winding up to shew you that Christ was entred upon his kingdome and that there were many acts passed in order to Christs glorious raign and that he had laid his claim in partionlar to these three nations and had been proclaimed here as in the palace yard as I might say of his dominions I gave you also many concurrent passages that have faln in to strengthen our faith and answered some objections touching the calling of the Jews which although we do not yet see called to the knowledge of Christ is not to trouble us forasmuch as their calling is not to be expected untill they be setled in their own land For so the promise seems to cast things in that order that God will as freely look upon them even in their blood as he did at the first when they were in Egypt that so it may not be said that their turning to God did lead the Lords turning to them Yet I told you that we have heard of the ratling of those dry bones which because the time is come should make us take heed of saying there is nothing in it though we are not acquainted with the posture of their affairs how they stand since that only I told you that we may have this reserve of hope that as when they came out of Egipt they lay 37 years in the wilderness of Cadesb and probably were as much out of the eye of the nations for a great part of that time as they are out of our eye now So I say God may be forming that people secretly in the dark and may be carrying on his intended goodnes towards them and we may see the sun of their redemption and restitution suddenly break forth of the clouds
heaven though to them a tryal but with all a service fetching them off more fully and more home to God their true rest And for the outward part of this wo if this be the same time spoken of Rev. 12.15.16 as I have formerly hinted in this discourse it is the earth shall help the woman and open her mouth to swallow up the flood as we may observe it hath done thus farr hitherto But yet there is more comfort behinde for as in this tryal the devil comes forth in person I may say and it is the Dragons second appearance so will Michael standup yea he doth stand up and Christ will appear in person the second time to rescue his beloved city from this violence So that here is all the comfort can be desired the very action is a service to us to bring us to God and the issue will crown our joy in bringing down Christ unto us look on the deliverance of Let and Sodom the very type of this where you may finde all the parts and the whole contexture of this scene even to the fire that came down from heaven and the lake into which those filthy citties were cast but just Lot is delivered and the Lord appears in person to his deliverance look on the old world another figure of this all drowned but upright Noah saved in the Ark so shall it be with the Lords Noahs and Lots in this day when the enemy shall come in like a flood and when the Lord shall send his flood of his wrath upon them nay when he shall rain down fire from heaven upon them therefore his is the Lords call this day to his Lots to his Noahs to abandon Sodom to flee out of Babylon and to deliver every man his own sou let the Churches hear this and all that walk with them to arise and depart out of every form and appearance of things of holy things Church or ordinancé that is polluted that is destitute of the spirit where Christ and his spirit is not in rule in power is not predominant striks not the great stroke bears not the great sway that state of things is a Sodom and Egypt a Babilon it is not something of God or something of the spirit being there makes it otherwise if the spirit be not there in rule and dominion God knows how to save that something and will do it as he did Lot out of Sodom but that shall not save Sodom It is true the last Vyal is poured out upon the air the prince of the power of the air and his whole party not Ecclesiastical only but corrupt civil formes and constitutions also but with ths civil or rather uncivil rule of corrupt men the Lord will put down also very specious and glorious religious forms that are not in the spirit for the shall put down saith the Apostle all rule and all authority and power 1 Cor. 15.24 yea the same Apostle tells us in the third chap. of the Epistle v. 11. and 16. that though the foundations be right yet they that build bay and stubble upon it shall suffer losse in their work and though themselves shall be saved yet so as by fire therefore we see we had need to take heed not to our foundation only but also to our building The Apostle Peter tells us that all these things must be dissolved he saith not simply all things but all these things not the works of God for whatsoever God doth is for ever for as all Christs words so all Gods works are spirit and life therefore we reade in Revelation of the ark and the tabernacle taken into the temple in heaven as typically they were into Solomons temple and that at the founding of the 7th trumpet they were seen there the true spiritual substratum of every ordinance creation and institution of God when a higher glory is revealed is carryed up and taken into that glory but the earthly part of it falls to the earth how much more all the works and buildings of man and all his pleasant pictures Esa 2.16 and as all civil foundations pollicies constitutions built with blood and unrighteousnesse shall dash and break one another in peices so will these spiritual buildings that are so in name only be dasht in peices like potters vessels and that in great part by their own divisions Gog and Magog also are used in this work who as the Assirian of old are sent against an hipocritical nation Esa 10.6 to take the spoil to take the prey and to tread them down as the mire in the streets this is one way that the earth shall help the woman and drink up the flood the dragon designes the holy the beloved city but that shall not be given into his hand but there is an hipocritical nation which yet all themselves of the holy city and are so esteemed by one another being called by the name of Israel and come forth of the waters of Judah these shall be given into his hand and when these things are judged and dissolved the Churches enemyes destroyed and her self purifyed then shall appear the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwels righteousnesse Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Errata PAge 6. line 7. for charge reade change p. 12. l. 23. for the large r. a large p. 14. r. acknowledging p. 15. l. 21 for about r. above p. 18. l. 1. for him r. them p. 27. l. 13. for tax r. taxt p. 30. l. 16. for bottle r. bottles p. 36. l. 9. for or r. for light p. 41. l. 28. for inducing r. Judaizing p. 42. l. 13. for tha r. that p. 45. l. 16. for Phocus r. Phocas p. 56. l. 21. r. subjects p. 61. l. 30. r. I should p. 65. l. 1. for might r. nigh p. 65. l. 32. for be r. the. p. 72. l. 8. for creating r. treating p. 72. l. 28. for go r. so p. 76. l. 31. for abuse r. abase p. 86. l. 6. for men r. man p. 92. l. 17. r. lost p. 114. l. 23. for one r. our p. 117. l. 5 for John r. Jehu FINIS
good pleasure to give you the kingdom if a kingdom may be security to you against fears of want against earthly solicitudes Behold says the Lord the kingdom is given to you and it is given by the Lord with all his heart for that is the meaning of the phrase It is the fathers good pleasure it is as if the Lord would liken himself unto an earthly father that has an estate which he would settle and when he has setled it O how is he satisfied having setled it to his hearts content so doth the Lord acquiesce in this setling of the kingdom upon this little flock he hath no regret when he reflects upon it but is perfectly well pleased with his own act this kingdom comprehends all in it it is not said a kingdom but the kingdom God hath many kingdoms as I may say or there are many considerations of this kingdom the kingdom of grace the providential kingdom c. Take the kingdom how you will in the whole extent and latitude of it the father gives the kingdom to the little flock I know that many content themselves and would have the Lords people to look after no other kingdom but that in heaven and I confess 't is a very good portion and when once we get thither we shall never desire to change that for any of another nature But I tell you that all the Saints departed are to come again with Christ and enjoy his kingdom here upon earth and therefore we must lose nothing of our fathers gift For the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to this Saints of the most high so that I say take this kingdom in the utmost latitude of it and in a kingdom you know thete is a fulness of all good whatsoever All is the Saints but I shall not stand upon that but upon the settlement which the Lord here reveals unto them and that account puts them upon a most generous dispose of whatsoever they have in this world sell that you have and give alms provide your selves bags that wax not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not It is as much as if the Lord should say I would have you my disciples in the confidence of this kingdom of this great provision that I have made for you and I would have you as free as Princes as Emperors it was so in the primitive times and we are not right till we come into that spirit when the Lord shall call for it to put all into a common stock there is much to be said in this case whether it be now practicable as the case stands and we in such a confused slate as we are If such a thing should be people it may be would be willing to have a community with those of their own judgment and perswasion and ways this is not right unless it be with all that believe Act. 5.32 But after this he comes to the exhortation that I read to you Let your loins be girded about here we have directions to the Lords disciples how they are to dispose themselves for this kingdom and they are three The first is let your loins be girded about 2ly Let your lights be burning 3ly Be ye your selves like unto servants that wâ—yt for their Lord when he will return from the wedding First let your loins be girded about what is this you know the loins are the strength of a man the meaning of which I conceive is this be settled in the firm saith and expectation of this kingdom this is to have the loins girded about we do find this kingdom and the hopes of it to signifie so little to us because we are scarce resolved scarce throughly grounded and settled in our minds touching the truth of such an expectation therefore says he let your loins be girded about and you know that if a man have cloaths upon him and they hang loose about him this man is unapt for any action or business his long trail hangs about his heels and flutters so about him that he cannot go about any work or business with any strength and therefore the loins being girded do in the 2d place signify a mans preparing himself and addressing himself strenuously to the work and business that the Lord doth appoint unto him that is this girding of the loins which in this case is waiting for the Lord doing every thing as a wayter having their eyes upon this coming And therefore to be girt is to be well perswaded and resolved to gird the promises about you and to gird your hopes clofe unto your hearts that so you may with confidence wayt for your Lord and expect his coming The second is our profession our lights burning our profession is our lights and lamps by which we make forth our hope and shine forth in it to others Now when the loins are girt this is a good help to the burning of our lamps our profession will be vigorous and lively when our hope is firm when the loins are girt about with truth that we do reckon upon it as a truth that will not fail us as a hope that will not deceive us then I say the lamps will burn clearly then we shall not only make a profession of this hope but we shall make our hope visible in all our walkings The lamps of many Christians burn very dimly and the reason is because they waver in their hope The third thing concerns our spirits for the word here your selves imports somthing more then our profession or our faith ye your selves that is your spirits and your inward frame your hearts and your inward man your selves in all your affections your selves in all things like unto men that wait for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding I would a little paraphrase upon the words before I come to any observation when he shall return from the wedding what is the meaning of this doth the Lord return from the wedding when he comes One would think it more proper to say that he comes to the wedding then that he returns from the wedding why surely the Lord doth come to a wedding he comes at last to the wedding-supper when he comes to his people but he comes also from the wedding for the wedding is in heaven but the wedding-supper shall be here on earth Christ is marryed to his people in his own city as I may say and in his fathers house and indeed all our flockings it is to heaven by conversion we are brought thither by our father and thither do we repair for all things there the Bridegroom is If we will be marryed to him we must go thither to be marryed the wedding is in heaven now whether you will take it so or whether you will take it of the saints departed the spirits of just men made perfect who are with the Lord he comes from thence and brings these with him to his poor Church here upon
ascention there was 40. days wherein he was as I may say preparing himself for his ascention to heaven I might give you twenty Parallels of it but now I come to the application of these things to these days and as for the standing up of Michael that is the first thing I would assume that Michael is raised up Michael hath stood up for several years if others in other parts of the world do question this yet we in those parts have no reason to doubt of it it is much if we are not convinced of it of the Lord Jesus his standing up and addressing himself to promote and serve in his own and his Churches interest above all interest and all kingdoms of the world that interest of the kingdom of God that hath lain hid in the faith of the Saints and in the promises unto this time if you say what evidence can be made of this it is a question not becoming those that have seen the great works of God as we have done have we not seen Michael standing up have we not seen him rousing himself have we not seen three nations bowing in his name have we not seen an heaven and an earth passing away have we not seen a dissolution of the Church and state have we seen all this and do we question whether Christ hath set a foot his title or no you know that kings when they are proclaim'd in this land they begin in the Palace yard they are not all over proclaimed in one moment So I say the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is to be a rising and a growing kingdom of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end and why may we not say that this Island or these three nations may resemble the palace yard where Christ is first proclaimed he hath been brought to the Ancient of days by clouds of witnesses who have pleaded his interest with God you know it hath been the subject of the saints prayers these 30. years yea nothing hath relished upon the spirits of the saints that hath not related this way if Christs kingdom hath not been at one end of it it hath been no prayer no sermon if it have not had that at one end of it yea hath not the Lord Jesus exercised his kingly power hath he not made many overturnings hath he not dealt with many Adonijahs how many would have set themselves up in his room This is the account of all these quick revolutions these overturnings this is exceeding declarative of his being near whose right it is I shall therefore conclude with a word of use or application and it is this Let us lift up our heads for the day of our redemption draws nigh I have already formerly once and again told you that these 45 days from the end of the 1290. days spoken of in Dan. 12. are that generation as I conceive in which our Saviour says all things shall be fulfilled for so were the generations from David to Christ those 14 generations 43 years one with another So in those 45. days in Daniel wherein Michael shall stand up Daniel is told that all should be fulfilled in that time and I say these times began in the year 1650. and we are now in the middle of them we are very forward and I do more suspect my self for the setting my post too far off from Christs appearing then of setting it too near I say I more suspect my self for that and the Lord knows i.e. if you subdivide this last watch or space of 45 years into lesser watches in which of the watches of this last watch he may come in the second or in the third watch but we are neer to it let us look up and lift up our heads You see what evidences have been given of these days Obj. But if Christs coming be so near would the times be so evil may some say I answer was not Sodom at the worst when Christ came with the other two Angels to destroy them and so the old world Yea but you will say the people of God would be better then they are if Christs coming were so near Answ They shall be made better by his coming the summer spoken of is the very appearing of Christ you know that when the trees puts forth summer is night but it is the appearing of Christ is the summer would you have fruit before summer your fruits are growing in the winter and in the spring they are coming forwards but you have not your fruit till the summer Christ is preparing his people by the present dispensations and they shall shine but all that Christ doth now is emptying work cleansing work as when a man pulls down his old house in order to building it anew Christ is removing house and he is taking away joy from the earth the old joy trade is going the joy of the earth and the very husbandman may loose the fruits of the earth this year And if you look within O what desolations are there alas though the Lord give us our wits and our sences yet we hear of one in one place under a spirit of dispondency Gods fire is in Sion in this day and his furnace in Jerusalem and there is none of us but have our back burdens if it be but being companions of suffering ones it cannot but go to our hearts this is the sowing time yea but you will say possibly Obj. There is a promise of the spirits pouring forth and therefore these cannot be the days of the son of man I answer the spirit is not the first grace the leading grace as in those promises made to Israel in the letter of bringing them back to their own land Ezek. 36.24.32 They must be in their own land and setled there before the spirit is poured forth lest they should reflect too much upon their own qualifications least thy may be ready to say it is for our reformation that God hath visited us Therefore will the Lord at he t last as at the first take his people in their blood and in their unworthiness Obj. But you may say we see nothing of the Jews being called and Antichrist destroyed Answ Antichrist hath but a mystical destruction till Christ comes and there will be a Pope for ought I know till Christ appears but his time is legally out and determined and when a time is out what is done afterwards is an usurpation and Antichrist shall pay dearly for all at the last But as for the Jews it is a material objection we cannot look for the appearance of Christ till they come in though on this occasion let us be aware that there is a mistical Jew that needs to be turned to the Lord as well as a litteral Jew but as to the litteral Jew though we see him not come in yet we know not how soon we may for it shall be very suddenly a nation shall be born at once mark the expression
with me or at least I am not yet manifest in it Therefore I say his ascending was that he might marry our natures in his own person unto his glorious head though he was marryed unto the father in eternity yet not as the son of man on earth but this was the marriage of the son of man on earth And so he carryed up our nature out of this state of poverty beggery in sin death yea out of legalor first covenant-righteousnesse into the glory of God that is the third marriage that I have been speaking of wherein you see how it differs from the first marriage The first was the marriage of the son of man in heaven unto the godhead but this is the marriage of the son of man on earth unto the son of man in heaven that is clear by our Saviour his own stating of it let us not slight that for he says before Abraham was I am this glory is to be the covering the clothing to the son of man on earth this is the wedding from which he comes You possibly will say why did not Christ come all this time hath this wedding lasted this 16. 1700. years my brethren our Lord Jesus Christ is presented as our head so that Christ was married as a publique person and we must all follow to this wedding this hath been the work ever since through all times and ages from Christs assention it hath been I say the preparation of the Bride the lambs wife for this fourth and last marriage Christs 3d marriage the heavens must receive until the restitution of all things till his Bride be ready And all the saints have been hastening out of themselves out of his fleshly fallible state and image into the resurrection life they have been hastning by a mistical death this is the work of all ages since Christ to prepare the Bride that is such a number of men and women as God hath fore known in his eternal counsel that are to come up successively upon the stage of this world in their generations and times to be the witnesses of our Lord and of his death his sufferings are to be fulfilled in them and so is his life to be manifested in them as the dyings of Jesus so his life this hath been his work since his a scention and when his number is eompleated then will the Lord reveal himself from heaven in our persons in that glory which our natures have been invested with from his ascention then will Christ and his bride the lamb and the lambs wise plant and model the world and they will have a new seed after that which shall be born in Christs own image as Adam is said to beget a son in his own image which will be the new race of men and women after this glorious marriage For Christ will have generations of saints that shall be brought forth unto him in his kingdom in another glory then we have known all this time Thus I have been carryed whether I would not for what I designed to speak I am not come to I should have shewed you by the example and pattern of his wedding on Christs part the glory of his marriage and I should have come to the application but I must take another time for this The Seventh Sermon 1. Ep. John 3.2 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be YOu see though I am off from my former text yet not from my subject this text benig of a kin to it and bordering upon it and having many things in my mind upon it though not digested into such a method as more leisure and time might have afforded I shall abruptly present to you the 2. heads upon which we shall spend this opportunity without more curious survey of the text or context and briefly they are 1. That blessed and glorious hope which is laid up for the Saints at Christs appearing and 2d the evidence of it These are the two things that I shall pick out of these words the hope is that we shall be like Christ when he appears the evidence of this hope is that we shall see him as he is for the hope it self you see it concerns us our persons and our spirits And that is the immediate and great concern and expectation of believers in Christs glorious kingdom and at his glorious appearing the change that shall be brought upon our selves the glorious change that shall be brought upon all things for he that sits upon the throne says behold I make all things new is to begin first upon us it is to begin upon the Saints and when they are changed not only will all things be changed to them but all things shall be changed with them though not presently yet in due course and order for the Apostle says that the whole creation grones and travels in pain expecting to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God they are to be delivered into our liberty and the Gospel throughout in all the priviledges both of grace and glory in both states of the kingdom both that of grace and of glory the militant and the triumphant state do hold forth first fruits that shall be first visited and first saved and then the Lump and body first the root and then the branches and I do the rather put a note upon this because we are apt to be carried forth into other contemplations and expectations of the change of times the change of kingdoms common-wealths Churches and overlook the fundamental change this head change this right change which begins in the persons of Saints of believers themselves which may be called the beginning of changes as we read of the beginning of revenges in Deuteronòmy or the head revenge of the enemy so this is the head of change and in vain do we look for a happinesse to come unto us by the change of our circumstances and of our conditions if there be not this Radical this fundamental change in our persons and spirits Now this change I shall first present it to you in the substance of it and then shall consider the arguments the illustrating arguments in the text and in the context First the substance of this change into a likenesse of Christ when he shall appear we shall be like him the likenesse unto Christ is that which cannot but speak for it self and commend it self sufficiently to our desires can there be any better thing then to be like Christ can there be a greater thing then to be like Christ Let us but consider who and what he is he is the likenesse of God the brightness of his glory the character of his person in whom god hath drawn forth himself to the life he is the image he is the glory of God there is not any excellency in God but it is displayed in our Lord Jesus most beautifully most divinely most advantagiously and therefore it may well be a hope
proportion to the glory of his person and his spirit now in the 2d appearance then a sed a little dark sed doth unto it's plant or tree Do not think your Saviour will be seen by you as in the days of his flesh no he will come in the glory of his father what do you think your Saviour to be is he not God as well as man he will come in the demonstration of his Godhead and what shall be hard or unpossible unto Almightiness it self he spake the word and they were created Thus will God plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the new earth even by the word that he hath put into the mouths of his poor witnesses in sackcloath when he shall appear to back this testimony Oh! how will this living word back this testimony and how will it kindle and set on fire the foundations of the mountains and whatever doth cover this glory when the Lord gave the word great was the company that published it not only the Angels but every creature shall take the word and publish it and transmit it to the very end of the world I will give you but a little demonstration of it and that is from all your experience look what power the hitherto appearances of Christ have had in and upon the world upon the saints in the world Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith what great things hath it done see what those worthies did by faith in Heb. 11. By faith Enoch was translated through faith they subdued kingdoms wrought righteousnesse stopped the mouths of lyons quenched the violence of the fire women received their dead raised to life again c. Now faith you know is but seeing at a distance but when Christ shall draw near when he shall hold forth himself immediatly to the soul oh what a glorious power shall we be sencible of from thence so if we should reflect upon revelations what great things have revelations done ye know when Paul was by the revelation of the Lord as he says 1 Cor. 12.3 taken up I knew a man in Christ says he he was not sencible whether he was in the body or not as much as to say I was not concern'd about that now this is all that I would say unto you I would have you to understand me aright it is not only a bodily sight of Christ that I drive at though that shall also be and the bodily eye shall be able to take in the glory of his body and person But there is an intellectual sight of Christ taking him in by spiritual sences Christ is God as well as man and this is that I would only say that the sight of Christ is the power whereby we are changed into the similitude of Christ by a true sight of him in the spirit in the glory of his spiritual person this is that which will transform and change us so that we are changed after a divine manner I say it is not by any methods or ways of the creatures acting I cannot put you into a way and tell you of such a process as your Chymists do that you must proceed thus and thus no but I say it is his exhibitting of himself in a clear light upon the soul enables it to copy him forth as I may say and to be brought forth into the same similitude Vse first let us bear up under our present unlikeness unto Christ truly the present unlikeness is made many times more unlike by temptations which God sends upon his people and by desertion as if they were not low enough by the general common and constant attendants of the fall God so dispences his people many times as to fall into deeps and darkness that they have no sence of what they were or of what they are or of what they shall be bear up under these for there is a day of brightning promised And my second word is this it is Christs work and not yours you are passive in it and under it pray what do the heavens do to their own enlightning but lye under the beames of the sun when the sun which knows his time ariseth and comes forth into the firmament Let this comfort poor souls that are concerned for holyness that are concern'd for the image of God and likeness unto Christ Let it comfort us for the Church and for the whole creation all which have promises first the first fruits the Church first and then the world first the dead in Christ are to arise every one in his order now I say that is our hope and our hope is laid upon our Lord Jesus and upon his appearing and therefore do not dispond do not say how shall this be done consider but the word in Phil. 3. chap. According to the power whereby he is able to subder all things to himself I tell yon there is no such power in matter or in body as there is in spirit the Lord Jesus Christ he changes us after a spiritual manner we are changed by the spirit of the Lord that spirit which works in an instant therefore it is said in a moment or in the twinkling of an eye My second Use is this Oh! travel travel in the knowledg of Christ and in the discoveries of Christ oh wait to know Christ and to have him open'd and revealed to you in the Scriptures and by the spirit in all the means you are under I say wait for this when we shall see him as be is we shall be like him Oh! it is nothing but the hiding of Christs glory from us that makes us to partake so little of his glory because I live ye shall live also the very sight of his life will import life unto us so the sight of his glory will put glory upon us for when he shall appear we shall appear with him in glory The Eighth Sermon Luke 12.35.36 Let your loines be girded about and your lights burning And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open unto him immediately I Have been long upon these words but the subject is very copious which will excuse me my aim in first pitching upon them was both to acquaint my self and you I say that we might all of us be acquainted from the Lord and from his spirit amongst us with that preparation that becomes us for the Lords appearing to this end I have spent much of my time in holding forth to you the grounds of my expectation of the Lords coming to be neer very neer begining with the signes which our Saviour himself gives us of his day in handling of which I was cast upon that phrase of the days of the son of man which I endeavoured to clear up unto you that they did hold forth a tract of time from the end of the beasts term which we meet with in Rev. 13. where we fynd it precisely limitted within
consider that I desire to draw out my heart to you it is the greatest comfort I have when I finde weaknesse in my self I have a great desire to live to see the glorious time of the Church and when at any time as the devil is wonderful busy to cast in his fiery darts and discouragements into the soul when I finde I am either assaulted with a sudden fear or that I cannot see how that little vigour and strength I have should hold out I finde a great deal of comfort in reflections of this nature that the Lord is more concern'd in and for me then I am in and for my self and whoever can do so shall finde and feel the benefit of it hath not the Lord given his son for me and he that gives his own son how shall be not with him freely give us all things are we not his peculiar treasure then I say leave your selves to God and say look thou to it we may with a holy freedom say to the Lord look thou to it it is not for us though we are to serve the providence of God and the publique yet it is Gods concern he is to look to it cast it upon God but 3ly A third consideration is his I have told you once and again and now also that I cannot bring tho time neerer the time of our hopes then I have done but yet consider this this time that is yet to run out before that very period comes wherein he is pronounced blessed that waits comes to that time I say those times that are to run out will be filled with wonders and with glory that shall give strength unto us from day to day from year to year to await the end to the last issne for although it is not said that Daniel shall stand in his lot until the end of those days and then it is promised he shall ye I say there may goundedly be an expectation of higher more transcendent and wonderfull works of God that shall entertain his people during their watching and waiting for you know who is there that needs watchers at any time but will provide them entertainment during their watching they shall have strong-waters or something by them and so shall the Lords people you will say what entertainment shall we have I must tell you I look upon the 45 years as well night half expyred which is the time in which Christ employs instruments for the throwing down of the remainder of his enemies throughout this whole western world and the Eastern too the great Turk the whole seat of the 4th Monarchy all the enemies in these two Empires the Eastern and the Western Christ takes this time to bring them down and wonderfully brought down they must be and come to their end this abundance of Scriptures tels us he will shake heaven and earth and the desire of all nations shall come and so he says in Joel he will gather the heathens to the vally of Jehoshaphet and so Zach. 14.3 But in Revel 16. you read that at the pouring forth of the 6th Vyal the great river of Euphrates shall be dryed up he is drying up Euphrates at this day and this will be a glorious work to see how Christ gets ground of his enemies and how the house of Saul grows weaker and weaker indeed it would be very little comfort to see destruction and desolation if the new state did not put off the old state as the old nail gives way to the new or as Jacobs supplanting Esan though that new state is not to be seen vulgarly or visibly yet the saints finde it coming on in the spirit and this if you be reasonable men will satisfy you God will satissy his people ere he hath done and it is your mistake if you are not satisfyed with this way he takes so did Israel dig up fouutains and their rock followed them The 4th consideration is this that if we did understand things aright we should rejoyce with all our souls it would turn to us for a testimony that the Lord holds us in so long suspenee being an argument of the greatness of the transcendency of the things that are promised otherwise God would not exercise his people so long in the wayting for them think you that God will exercise his people with waiting for a trifle Esa 64.4 From the begining of the world men have not beard nor perceived by the ear neither hath any eye seen besides thee O God what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him if you expect Christs glorious kingdom any otherwise you will be mistaken there is no common or ordinary thing in that day expect nothing but wonders things that are to put your faith to it to acknowledge them when they come to passe that you will be ready to say are we in a dream as when the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion this is that which makes our patience so lame we represent the kingdom of God in such a pittiful poor way and manner what is the utmost glory that men present it in why that it will be a time of pure ordinances and the ministers shall recover themselves with their people alas alas is this all is this the kingdome of Christ I saw no temple there God will bring his people to immediate converse with himself they shall see eye to eye God intends to bring his people to a state without sin past this state of infirmity I confess men may give such an account of Christs kingdom that may not ballance the charge or trouble of working it about Do you think that God would have suffered Paradise to fall but that he had a better state to bring forth Do you think that the temple had been suffered to miscarry but that he had a better state to present Do you think that the primitive state had been suffered to decline but that he had a better state yea better then the Apostles better then the Prophets We see say they through a glass datkly but in that day Christians shall be known to whom they belong you know a waterman by his badge the name of God shall be written in the foreheads of his people If you look for any thing but wonders in that day you will be mistaken things being working to that issue I say you will see wonders One word more till Christ comes in person let us emprove his spiritual presence with us which by promise shall never be taken away And I tell you as I have told you formerly it is the spirit of Christ in the Saints that is the power by which they shall be changed Christs personal appearance from heaven bears a part it is the glorious example to which we shall be conformed and it hath a ministry likewise of enouragement and strengthning it will call up our faith and the life of the spirit into exercise in us but they must both meet the shout of our faith with the shout