12. Ch. 5.8 Their patient bearing of the Cross Their keeping of the word of God in the precepts of it and keeping close to it in the Truth of it Their superlative Love to Christ Math. 10.37 Their Cordial Love to the Saints 1 Jo. 3.14 Their Contempt of the World 1 Jo. 2.15 Their Love of Christs appearance 2 Tim. 4.8 In a word Their conformity to Christ their Head Rom. 8.29 These and the like Divine Vertues although not seldome more visible to a judicious stander by than to themselves and not to be weighed but with some graines of allowance in the ballance of the Sanctuary these I say may administer abundant matter of hope and rejoycing to surviving Friends that those Relations which are fallen asleep were a people whom God hath set apart for himself pretious in his sight honourable and beloved of him a people formed for himself to shew forth his praise Col s 1.13 and made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Yea even in them whose Sun goes down in the morning of their Youth A teachable Spirit Math. 13.16 Isa 28.9 71 Psal 5. Jo. 16.8 1 John 2.13 John 17.3 Pious Inclinations Sense of a lost Estate by Nature A Competent knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ in his Offices A real sense of the need and use of Christ 1 Pet. 2.7 2 Tim. 3.15 Ps 119.13 An early acquaintance with the Scriptures A good understanding of the Word Preached not without some savour of it Respects to Gods Sabbaths And in a word 1 Kings 14.13 Any good thing toward the Lord God of Israel These early Impressions I say where ever they are found though according to different ages and capacities more or less legible in them are so many hopeful Indiciums that God hath been at work upon their hearts betimes and that he doth not untimely take them away in judgment but are polished Jewels which he hath of special grace laid up and secured from the violence and prophanation of a reprobate world Nay once more Those very Babes and Sucklings whom God is pleased to remove from us very early snatched from their Mothers Breasts yea possibly who pass swiftly from the Womb of their Natural Mother unto the belly of the Earth their Original Mother even these I say they being A Covenant seed Appendices of their believing Parents Children of promise Act. 2.39 Consecrated unto God by their Baptisme or by the Tears and Prayers of their holy Parents in the want of it having a right to the mercies 1 Cor. 7.14 Rom. 9.11 Mar. 10.4 Luk. 1.44 Gal. 1.15 Renatiante quam nati Aug. priviledges of the Covenant as well as to Baptisme Among whom is dispersed God the Father's Election God the Son's purchase God the Holy Ghost's Influence and Operation Even these are not to be looked upon as a lost Generation but may in the warrantable judgment of Scripture Charity be hopefully reputed for an Holy Seed Gods adopted Children owned by Christ and in him heires co-heires of the Kingdome of Heaven by special prerogative advanced to their Inheritance as it were before their time Upon this Foundation stands our hope concerning our Godly Relations which are fallen asleep of what age or state soever we are not to mourn for them even as others which have no hope Let them mourn excessively who know not the Scriptures nor the power of God in raising the Dead who bury their Relations and their hopes together in one Grave but you that upon these Scripture evidences have good hope through grace concerning your deceased Friends that while you are mourning on Earth they are rejoycing in Heaven that whiles you are Cloathed with black they are Cloathed in white even in the long white Robes of Christs Righteousness while you are rooling your selves in the Dunghil they are sitting with Christ upon his Throne Do not I beseech you profane your Scriptural hope with an unscriptural mourning give not the world occasion to judge either your selves to live without Faith or your Relations to dye without hope but let your Christian moderation be known to all men that it may be a visible Testimony to all the world of God's grace in them and of your hopes of their glory with God Therefore comfort one another with this word also A third word of comfort followeth and that is A third word of Comfort Our gratious Relations are not alone in their Death The Captain of their Salvation did march before them through those black Regions of Death and the Grave Jesus died this is implied in the following words If we believe that Jesus died This is a third consolatory Argument and it carryeth in it strong consolation Our sweet Relations in dying run no other hazard than Abraham Isaac and Jacob did no other hazard than all the Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles did in their generations they all died and were resolved into their first dust Yea what shall I say They run no other hazard than the Lord of all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles did Jesus died this is wonderful indeed the Lord of Life died The eternal Son of God was laid in the Grave If our Children die we know we begot them mortal The Son of God had no principle of mortality in him * i.e. No sin in him to deserve it nor disease to cause it and yet he died Be our Children never so precious to us they cannot be so pretious to us God forbid they should as the Lord Jesus was to His Father who testifies concerning him from Heaven with a loud voyce This is my well-beloved Son Math. 3.17 in whom my Soul is well pleased And yet God gave up this well beloved of his Soul to the death Jesus died And we indeed justly Death is but our wages wages as truly earned as ever was a penny by the poor hireling for his days labour both we and our Off-spring have forfeited our lives over and over again by continual reiterated Treasons against the supreme Majesty of Heaven and Earth yea the best blood which runs in our veins is Traytors blood by succession from our first Rebellious Parents for which God might justly have executed the sentence at first imposed even as soon as ever we draw our first breath Thou shalt dye the death Gen. 3. But He what evil had he done He was holy harmless undefiled Heb. 7.26 Isa 53.61.71 Heb. Ho hath made the iniquity of us all to meet in him separate from sinners He did no sin neither was there guile found in his mouth He fulfilled all Righteousness and yet Jesus dyed And why so Surely he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed we all like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquity
as lying in the Grave their Beauty turned into Rottenness and deformity think not of them as possibly by a premature death as you may think snatcht from an earthly Inheritance before their time but think on them as co-heirs with Jesus Christ riding now in Triumph with him and with the whole general Assembly and Church of the First born whose names are written in Heaven to take possession of their Inheritance with the Saints in Light Thus behold them not as they are in the night of the shadow of death but as they shall be in the morning of the Resurrection when God will bring them with him and I had almost said Mourn if you can So much for the Sixth word of Comfort MOVNT PISGAH OR THE SECOND PART OF THIS Model of Consolatory Arguments OVER THE Death of our Godly Relations I Have opened unto you the first part of this Apostolical Model of divine Comforts over the Death of our Godly Friends and hopeful Relations which conteined in it six words of Consolation sc 1. That they are not said so properly to be dead as to sleep They are but fallen asleep 2. That their condition is a condition full of hope they are not in an hopeless state as others are 3. Jesus Christ the Captain of our Salvation went before them and shewed them the way Jesus Died. 4. He died indeed but he remained not long in the state of the Dead He rose again And that First By his own power as a Conquerour Secondly By Office as our Sponsor or Surety our Jesus Thirdly As a second Adam or publick person the head and Representative of all his spiritual Seed This also is in his name Jesus Jesus rose 5. The Saints Vnion with Christ so intimous and so inseparable that it ceaseth not in the very Grave They sleep in Jesus 6. They shall be brought back again at the Coming of the Lord God shall bring them with him these are conteined in the 13th and 14th verses of this Chapter I come now to the Second Part of this Divine Model Second Part. which is conteined in the three following Verses viz. the 15 16 17. together with the improvement of the whole context in the 18th verse which is mutual comfort and support Comfort one another with these words Now this later part contains in it four of these ten words of Comfort held out in this Model 1. The first is an obviating and removal of a discouragement and temptation which might possibly be upon the spirits of dying Saints namely lest the condition of the Saints which shall be found alive at the last day should be happier or at least sooner happy than the Saints which are fallen asleep long before and the removal of this discouragement makes a seaventh Word of Comfort in this Model 2. A second word is The coming of Christ his last appearance the Lord himself shall descend c. and this is the eighth word conteined in this Model 3. The third is The joyful and triumphant Meeting which all the Saints of God shall then have with one another and with Christ their Head and Husband ver 17. And this is the nineth Consolatory Argument in the order of the context 4. The last word of Comfort is That blessed co-habitation and Communion which the Saints shall enjoy with Jesus Christ for ever then shall we ever be with the Lord vers 17. And this is the tenth and last Consolatory Argument conteined in this Model I shall figure them in my opening of them as they stand in the order of the whole Model and make up the number of Ten words of Comfort conteined therein Seaventhly therefore Seventh word of Comfort the next word of Comfort in this Model is The obviating or removing an objection or discouragement which probably might possess the Spirits of God's dying-Saints and that is lest the Saints which shall be found alive at the last day might possibly be happier or at least sooner happy than the Saints which are fallen asleep before that day Now for the rolling of this stumbling block and stone-of-offence out of the way The Apostle doth these three things 1. The method of the last Judgment He sets down the order and method of the procedure of that great and solemn Transaction at Christs coming vers 15 16. 2. He quoteth infallible Authority for what he saith The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he tells us he speaks not a presumption of his own head but that which he had received of the Lord This we say unto you by the word of the Lord. 3. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He gives us the ground and reason of this comfortable assertion and that is the coming of Christ in person For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven c. vers 16. First 1. Branch of the word of Comfort The order method of Christs procedure The Apostle acquaints Believers with the order and method of that great and solemn Transaction at Christ his coming And this he doth Two ways 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively First Neg. Negatively He peremptorily denieth that the living Saints at Christs coming in glory shall have any the least advantage above the sleeping Saints by their being found alive at that day We which are alive and remain shall not prevent them which are asleep Vers 16 i. e. The living Saints shall not prevent the dead Saints in any priviledg of the Resurrection or of the appearance of the Lord Jesus It might probly be a temptation upon the Thessalonians or other Christians 1. Either that the Saints only which should be found alive at the last day should have the happiness of seeing the Lord Jesus coming in his Glory with all his mighty Angels to judg the world and they only should enjoy the priviledg of his Glorious appearance that all the Saints that died before that day even from the beginning of the world were a lost generation that should never come forth again to the light or to behold the glory of that day or to enjoy the blessed fruits and consequences of it 2. Or at least that they should be the first in that happiness to see his Glory and have the first share in the felicities and triumph of that day or ever the sleeping Saints should be awakened or get out of their beds of dust The Apostle doth therefore I say peremptorily and positively remove this scruple and fear out of the minds of Christians he assures us that it is an utter mistake it is neither so nor so he tells us that all Believers who had died from the first Adam downward until the coming of the second Adam shall have as good a share caeteris paribus in the priviledges and glory of that day as they who stand upon their feet and are found inter vivos at Christ's coming Secondly and as soon the living shall not prevent the dead in any one of the beatitudes and honours of the Resurrection of
the Angels of Heaven but the Father there 's the doctrine and then the use is verse 42. Watch therefore for ye know not the hour when the Lord doth come Therefore indeed is the last day concealed from us that we may watch every day And therefore Christians look about you what have you been doing so many years together under the ministry of the Gospel are your accompts yet ready are your evidences cleared is your pardon sealed your interest in Christ secured your calling and Eleclion made sure have ye wrought out your salvation with fear and trembling Luk. 12 35 36. Are your lights burning and your loynes girded and you your selves like unto men that wait for the coming of the Lord that when he cometh and knocketh you may open to him immediatly up and for the Lords sake yea for your own sakes make haste this may be the day the hour when the Son of man may come Wo unto that man to whom the coming of the Lord will be a surprize Therefore I say again watch what you do do quickly I come now to the third branch of this seventh word of Comfort sc Third branch of the seventh word of Comfort The ground and reason of this comfortable truth which lieth in the first clause of the next verse For verse 16. the Lord himself shall descend c. The words are of a twofold consideration sc Absolute And Relative The absolute and positive holds forth a main Article of our Faith sc Christ's last coming to judgment in person The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven The Relative and so they are a confirmation of this comfortable truth They which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep and why so For the Lord himself shall descend c. In their absolute sense the words are as I say a main Article of our Faith concerning Christ's coming to judgment in person and therefore may justly challenge their room to make up one entire and distinct word of Comfort in this divine context And so I will first consider them and then in their relative tendency sc as they are a ground or reason of the former Comfort In the order of this second part they are the second but in the method of the whole Context 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are The Eighth word of Comfort Eighth word of Comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord himself shall Descend Here the Apostle describes unto us the last coming of Christ to judgment In which description we have three considerable particulars sc 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Person that shall come The Lord himself 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The certainty of his coming He shall come 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The manner of his coming With a shout I begin with the first of these The Person that shall come 1. The Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord himself i. e. Jesus Christ God-Man the Mediator between God and Man He that came at first to purchase and redeem the Elect of God the same person will now come to raise them out of their Graves to gather them together and to bring them with him unto Glory He will not send a Deputy-Angel about the solemn work of that day but will descend Himself in Person to finish that last and grand trust of his Mediatory-Office And that upon a twofold account 1. R. Why Christ will come personally sc because the Judgment must be visible 1. The Lord himself will Descend in his own Person Because the judgment must be visible and therefore the Judge must be so too There is a dispute whether Christ shall sit on a visble Throne and it is very probable he shall sure we are from the Scripture that he shall appear in the Clouds of Heaven that He may be heard and seen of all Behold Rev. 1.7 he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him Clouds are visible things and these Clouds shall not obscure him but rather render him more conspicuous Every eye shall see him He shall so come with Clouds that they shall be a Throne to exalt and lift him up to the view of all the world therefore is the posture noted as well as the Throne Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of Power Math. 26.64 and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Clouds shall be his Throne and sitting will be the posture the posture of a Judge To judge the world is an act of supream Authority and therefore it must be done by one of the three Persons Now the Father and the Spirit are invisible therefore hath the Father appointed a day Act. 17.31 wherein he will judge the world by the man Christ Jesus The Flesh of Christ is a Veil to his Deity by which God is made visible to an eye of Flesh Christ is God manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God conspicuous in the humane nature and in that humane nature which he assumed of the Virgin will Jesus Christ appear in Judgment that so every eye may see him the wicked to their terror but the Godly to their unspeakable joy Isa 66.5 Secondly 2. R. for the recompence of his abasement The Lord himself shall appear for a recompence to his abasement It is requisite that he that was judged by the world should now come to judge the world He came at first humble lowly despised sitting upon an Ass spit upon Crucified but he shall come again in power and great glory It is good somtimes to compare the two Comings of Christ together At first he came into the Flesh In Carâ—â—â— he shewed himself in the nature of man to be judged But at his second coming he shall come in the flesh In Carne He shall come from Heaven in the same humane nature which he carried up with him into Heaven there to be the Judg both of the quick and the dead His fore-runner then was John the Baptist the voyce of one crying in the Wildeâ—ness At his second coming his fore-runner shall be an Arch-Angâ— With the voyce of an Arch-Angel and the Trump of God as in the Text. Then his Companions were poor Fisher-men Now his Attendants shall be the mighty Angels of Heaven 2 Thes 1.7 Then he came riding on an Ass a Colt the Foal of an Ass Now he shall come riding on the Clouds sitting on a Throne At his first coming he appeared in the form of a Servant Now he shall come as a Lord in the glory of his Father Then he came in the likeness of sinful Flesh to suffer as a Sinner for Sinners Now he shall appear the second time to them that look for him Heb. 9. last without sin unto Salvation Then he drunk of the brook in the way but now shall he lift up his head This for the recompence
awakened and set upon their feet again in a most beautiful perfect state I say where He and none but He who long since became their Adocate shall now by the appointment of the Father be their Judge Oh what matter of Joy and Triumph will this administer unto the Saints at that day How may they lift up their heads with joy because their Redemption and Redeemer shall then draw nigh Second branch of Comfort in reference to the Saints departed Again The Doctrine of Christ his Personal Appearance at the last day affords no less Consolation in reference to the Saints departed and to this very end doth the Holy Ghost mention it in this place The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven The Relative consideration I told you the words have a Relative consideration in them as they do imply an account why the Saints which are alive at the coming of Christ shall not prevent them which are asleep why it immediatly follows For the Lord himself shall descend The Saints of God need not doubt of this either in reference to themselves or to their Relations whom they have sent before them to the Grave The Lord that bought them will see to Their Resurrection in the first place It was the will of him that sent him that of all which he hath given him Joh. 6.39 he might lose nothing but that he should raise it up again in the last day And Jesus Christ is so punctual to his trust that He will not delegate it to any of the Angels or Seraphims but will come in Person to accomplish that charge that so not any one of his little ones may possibly be forgotten * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing may be lost neither Person nor Member nor Dust but that Christ may present it entirely to his Father at his coming in the same language he spake when he went out of the world Those that thou gavest me John 17. I have kept and none of them is lost He bought them at too dear a rate to leave any one of them in the Grave and therefore to make all sure He will come in Person and finish his work Himself As sure as He ascended up into Heaven after his own Resurrection so surely shall he descend from Heaven to perfect that Resurrection in his Saints which brings me to the second Particular The second particular in this Eighth word of Comfort The second word of Comfort He shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is The Certainty of his coming couch'd in the Verb here He 〈◊〉 shall descend from Heaven He shall i.e. most certainly and infallibly And so all the Scriptures which mention the Coming of the Lord speak of it in the notion of a most unalterable Decree and Statute of Heaven thus the Apostle to the Athenians God hath appointed a day wherein he will judg the world in righteousness Act. 17.31 by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given us assurance c. See how many words here are heaped one upon another to assure our Faith of the infallible certainty of Christs Coming First he hath appointed a day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statuit diem There is the divine Appointment and Decree past upon it in Gods Eternal purpose and Counsel It is a Statute enacted in Heaven that there shall be a future Judgment a Statute more sure than ever the Laws of the Medes and Persians for Heaven and Earth may pass away but Gods Decree shall stand c. And then there is a certain Day appointed for it a stated time by the same Power A day which can neither be adjourned nor accelerated The time is fixed He hath appointed a day and it cannot be altered And then the Work is determined as well as the day and that is judgment wherein He will Judge The Judgment is not left Arbitrary or Contingent but God is resolved on 't He will Judg not peradventure he may Judg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as sure as He is God he will Judg. The Persons to be judged are also specified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not less than the whole world He will Judg the world not a single Person shall escape that Judgment 2 Cor. 5.10 we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ As the Persons to be Judged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so likewise the Person that is to Judg is named and designed to it already That man that special that peculiar man the man Christ Jesus And to make all sure he hath his Commission already That man whom he hath Ordained the Judg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 6.27 is Elected and commission'd under the broad Seal of Heaven is passed And if all this be not enough there is yet further Assurance and evidence given of it already to the world open and evident demonstration if men will not shut their eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fide palam facta omnibus of which he hath given assurance unto all men what that assurance is I shall shew anon In the mean time see how the Holy Ghost useth all the words and expressions which may create a firm assent to the doctrin of Christs coming to Judgment that there may be no room for doubting left Formid Oppositi as the Schools calls it no hesitancy in the minds of men And not here only but in many other Scriptures 2 Cor. 5.10 that hinted even now We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ c. Not we may only but we must Christ must Judg and we must all appear But not to multiply Scriptures take we a brief account of the Grounds And Behold 1. Reason says Reasons or Grounds of the certainty of Christs coming He may Come 2. Faith says He must Come 1. Reason saith He may Come The very Course of Providence shews it The Godly are not the happiest in this world 1 Cor. 15.9 If in this life only says the holy Apostle we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miscrable Vertue hath not a full reward nor Vice sufficient punishment in this life Dives the Representative of the Voluptuous world flowed in ease and pleasure while Lazarus a godly man afflicted with pain and hunger was glad to dine with his Dogs at the dore The Dogs were both his Almoners and his Chirurgeons Things must not go after this rate for ever Sooner or later a man shall say i. e. He that is no more than a man that hath no better eye in his head than the eye of Sense and Reason shall be convinced of this and compelled to confess of a truth There is a reward for the Righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth the Earth Sin is now somtimes punished with * In judicijs suis quae Deus in hoc mundo exercet non est ista plena mensura justitiae quae erit in judicis ultimi Dici
down the head like a bull-rush Isa 58.5 receiving the Lords Supper Christ-murder c. All their Services were but so many sins and the aggravations of sin so many provocations of God as all done from a Carnal principle by a Carnal rule to Carnal ends nevertheless the Scripture tells us these woful wretches will be ready there to plead for themselves their duties and services which they have done for Christ as vile as they are as they did in the dayes of their flesh Isa 58.3 We have fasted they said we have afflicted our Souls so now also in the day of Judgment False Apostles and scandalous Ministers will then be so bold as to plead their Preaching in Christ's Name and that possibly not without success Lord we have Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils peradventure even to the work of Conversion Judas might cast out the Devil and yet himself be a Devil John 6.70 he might convert others and yet be unconverted himself they will plead their doing of miracles healing the sick and raising the dead Mat. 7.25 making the Blind to see and the Deaf to hear and the Lame to go and in Christs Name done many mighty works Lkewise loose Christians and formal Professors will then also plead for themselves their hearing Sermons and receiving Sacraments Luke 13.26 c. take it in their own Language We have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our Streets their external familiarities with Christ in the Assemblies of the Saints their common gifts and graces any thing then that hath but the likeness of grace upon it Christ shall hear of it Rev. 2.18 23. But all in vain The Judg whose eyes are a flame of fire to search the hearts and the reins will reprobate their persons and performances with an I know you not Luk. 13.25 and again with greater Emphasis I tell you I know you not verse 27. yea once more with a more dreadful note of abhorrency I never knew you Mat. 7.23 I never approved of you nor of any of your Services which ever you performed from the first to the last but my Soul hated both you and them Eightly There will be No begging further time of the Judg no adjourning the Tryal to another Assize-day That Court knows no Reprieve the Sinner's Tryal and Sentence 8. No begging of Day and Execution goe all together the day of Patience was out in the other world I gave her space to Repent and she Repented not and now the Judg swears in his wrath that Sinners shall never enter into his rest Ninthly No days-man tointercede with the Judg 9. No Intercessor Prov. 1.28 God will not he will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their fear cometh Oh dreadful Calamity which God will stand and laugh at Angels will not Job 5. ◠and to which of the Saints will those miserable Caitifs turn themselves they are upon Thrones round about the Judg but quite to other purposes than to become Advocates to those guilty Malefactors as will anon appear For Tenthly Therefore the Judg shall proceed to the last Acts of Judgment Two Acts of Judgment 1. The Judg will pronounce them guilty which are Two first to Pronounce them guilty of all the Treasons and Misdemeanors which those wretches have been Indited of The Judg indeed to vindicate the justice and equity of the Court will demand of the Convict Sinner Whether he hath any thing to say for himself why he should not receive Judgment to Dye and Sentence to be Executed according to Law but now Conscience shall speak impartially between the Judg and the Sinner justifying the Judg and Condemning the Sinner who having before hand received in himself the Sentence of Death shall now be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without-excuse Rom. 2.20 not able to make the least apology or defence on his own behalf but shall confess before that formidable Assembly Lord though thou judg me to everlasting flames yet thou dost me no wrong but art justified in what thou speakest Psal 51.4 and clear when thou judgest and alas What a miserable thing is this that all the time that the Sinner and his Conscience dwelt together under one Roof and Conscience would fain have spoken out the vile wretch should stop the mouth of his own Conscience and never suffer it faithfully to do its office till now when it will do him no good and tend to no other end but to justifie God and to aggravate his own Condemnation Oh that Sinners would seriously consider this and lay it to heart in time and hearken to the secret whispers of Conscience before it be too late 1 Jo. 3.21 and deal kindly with Conscience now that Conscience may deal kindly with them in that day when one good word from Conscience will be worth a thousand worlds Oh if the Sinner would have done that once willingly which now he doth whether he will or no if he would have judged himself in the day of the Gospel it might have prevented this fatal Judgment now he should not have been judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 Oh if the Judg would now speak such a word to the Convicted multitude of Reprobate Cast-aways as once he did to wretched Sinners Behold I make you this Offer that if yet before I proceed to Sentence you will unfeignedly judg your selves I will not judg you neither shall the Sentence of Condemnation pass upon you Oh what an uprore of joy would there be among those miserable Catiffs how would they down on their knees and judg themselves worthy of a thousand Hells and be content to suffer a thousand years Torment to expiate their guilt but though they would do this and if it were possible ten thousand times more no such word shall ever be spoken to them by the Judg their time of Sinning is past and their time of being judged is come and though they do now really judg themselves yet the Judg will proceed to judg them also The Sinner having thus justified the Judg the Judg shall now Condemn the Sinner out of his own mouth and solemnly setting himself down in the Judgment-Seat shall openly in the Court proclaim the Sinner guilty guilty of the whole Indictment preferred against him And then proceed to pronounce Sentence in some such words as these Sinner thou hast been Indited Arraigned and Convicted of High-Treason against the Supream Majesty of Heaven in the breach of his holy Law and in contempt of his blessed Gospel trampling the Son of God under foot Heb 10 29. Chap 6.6 and Crucifying him over and over again and putting him to an open shame c Hear now therefore thy sentence Thou art Accursed for ever the Wrath of God abideth upon thee thou shalt not see light Mat. 25.41 Go thou Cursed into everlasting burnings prepared for the Devil and his Angels and what shall be said to one
presence with God is ever Their vision is ever Their fruition is ever Their conformity to God is ever We shall ever be with the Lord. Quest But why What good have the Saints done to merit such an ever of bliss Answ Nay Christians if we go that way to work we shall be sure to fall short of this ever An Heaven proportionable to the Saints merit is not to be found unless it be amongst their Antipodes in the Regions of darkness if there be an heaven there The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6. ult Hell is the wages of sin pure and proper merit but Heaven is a free gratuitous gift a gift in regard of us though merit in regard of Christ Eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that if it be demanded Why Heaven must be for ever The first and only account of merit is the blood of Jesus Christ the Saints were once a lost generation Reasons why the Saints reward in glory must be for ever 1. Christs merit that had sold themselves and their inheritance too and had not wherewithall to redeem either But they had a neer Kinsman even their elder Brother by the Mothers side to whom the right of redemption did belong who being a mighty man of wealth the Heir of all things undertook to be their Goel and out of his own proper substance to redeem both them and their inheritance them to be his own inheritance Ephes 1.10 and Heaven to be theirs 1 Pet. 1.4 And therefore had Heaven been but a moment short of eternity the Redeemer had over-bought it for he laid out the infinite treasures of his blood upon the purchase the blood of God Acts 20.28 had not Heaven been infinite also as in value so likewise in duration it had not stood with the justice of God or his love to his Son to have taken so dear for it It is this ever in the Text which makes Heaven to be but an even bargain were there a period of time though after the revolution of never so many Ages wherein the purchase were to expire Price and Inheritance and Heirs were all lost for ever Behold this is the first Reason A second account may be in respect of the elect themselves 2. Reason Saints have immortal Souls The Saints have immortal souls souls that have an ever stampt upon them an ever a parte post an enduring ever though not a parte ante a beginning ever or rather an ever without beginning of such an ever the Saints were uncapable God himself with holy reverence be it spoken could not have bestowed such an ever upon the Creatures for then he must have made them so many Gods and this God could not do and that because he is omnipotent there is but one supreme but one omnipotent but now an ever a parte post an enduring ever God by divine Covenant conferr'd upon their souls and will invest their bodies also with at the Resurrection that so eternal Beings might be capable of eternal Rewards the wicked of torments the godly of bliss both eternal If there were not this ever upon the beatitudes as well as upon the persons of the Saints they would be extreamly losers by it and outlive their own happiness Thirdly 3. Reason Saints Graces are eternal Such a cessation of the joyes of Heaven would be as inconsistent with the Saints Graces as it is with their beings God hath beautified their immortal souls with immortal graces 1 Cor. 13. ult their love abides for ever their zeal is eternal their holiness eternal and all their qualifications for glory are eternal and can their glory it self be mortal It were in vain to contend for perseverance in Grace should we admit falling away from Glory Poor Saints indeed if neither grace here nor glory hereafter could secure their happiness Were grace indeed amissable in this life and glory in the future the foundation of the Lord were not sure and the Saints of all men most miserable Such a cessation is totally inconsistent with the Orthodox faith as well as with the wisdom of God who certainly if he had furnisht the Saints with immortal principles and qualifications for an heaven which would or might determine had taken far more care upon the Mediums than upon the End And oversight incompatible with a wise man much more with the only wise God But the main pillars upon which this blessed Article of our faith everlasting life is built The Attributes of God the main pillars of Heavens eternity 1. The Wisdom of God are the glorious Attributes of God I shall therefore pursue the discovery of this delightful contemplation unto the Spring-head First then The Wisdom of God is the head corner stone upon which we build the belief of this Doctrine Heavens eternity Not to recur to any thing already spoken I shall only take the hint of the Psalmists Question Psal 89.47 Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain For the better understanding whereof we are to take notice that the rise of the Question is a passionate complaint of the Prophet concerning the brevity and misery of the present life in Job's phrase Heb. Short of dayes and full of trouble In the former part of the verse Lord remember how short my time is And in this latter part of the verse he doth as it were expostulate the case with God why God would have it so Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain In which words although he seem to ask God the question yet he giveth himself the answer and the answer is negative q. d. No God made not men in vain It is not possible that the Wisdom of God should make such an excellent Creature as man the master-piece of the whole neather world to no purpose It cannot be that God should bring in such a Creature only to take a turn or two in the world and then to disappear never to be heard of any more What then Why thence he doth rationally infer that certainly in mans creation God had a design upon him in order to a future estate And what was that But what the wise man discovers to us Prov. 16 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself i. e. for his own glory scil The wicked for the day of evil to the manifestation of his justice and the godly for the day of redemption to the exaltation of his free grace in both which however the wicked may seem in this world to go unpunished and the godly unrewarded yet God will have time enough to make reparations to his justice in another world hell and heaven will make amends for all But now after all this should there be a period wherein the flames of hell should be extinguished or the joyes of heaven annihilated if after the first creation suffered a miscarriage the second also should prove
of it Use upon a two-fold Account Comfort to living Saints First To the Saints yet living First In reference to the Saints of God yet living You are now scorned and persecuted the ungodly world doth now judge you and condemn you the Psalmist observed it in his time Psal 94.6 they gather themselves together against the Souls of the Righteous and condemn the Innocent blood Innocence is no security against cruelty and oppression yea it seems no wine so sweet to wicked men as Innocent blood Jam. 5.6 ye have condemned and killed the just and yet that open violence may not want a pretence of Justice they act in the form of a legal process before they kill they do condemn but alas those Fig-leaves will not cover their nakedness It is the just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom they do unjustly Condenm and Murder so it was in Davids time and so it was in St. James his time One saith I should suspect him to be no Abel who hath not a Cain to persecute him ver 7 8. and so it is now the Reprobate world holds on its course to this day and so it will be to the end of the World God's Righteous Abels must expect no better justice at the Tribunals of these unrighteous Cains But be patient my Brethren till the Coming of the Lord and stablish your hearts for that coming of the Lord draweth nigh and then the Scene shall be altered you shall have the Law as it were then in your own hands your turn shall be to sit upon the Bench and your Enemies shall stand at the Bar They Judg and Condemn you now but there is a day coming when you shall Judg and condemn them and they indeed Vnrighteously but you shall Condemn them Righteously because your Judgment shall be according to the Judgment of that Righteous Judg of Heaven and Earth the Searcher of the hearts who will judg men by those two impartial Books the Book of his own Remembrance and the Book of their Consciences Yea you shall judge them for their Vnrighteous judging of you So it was Prophesied of old Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to Execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him not in his person only but in his Members also Loqâ—untur lapides all their ungodly deeds and all their hard speeches wherewith they have unjustly judged the Saints of God shall be judged over again And this honour shall all the Saints have they shall judg their Judges and not be guilty Psal 49.14 The Righteous shall have the Dominion over them in the morning Surely this is an advancement which the poor oppressed people of God could never have expected were they not assured of it from the mouth of him that shall be the Judg at that day Let this stay and stablish your hearts Secondly Secondly In reference to the Saints departed It is a word of comfort in reference to the Saints departed our precious Relations the sense of whose loss and absence we are not able to bear while we think of them as smothered and extinguisht in their own ashes silent in the land of forgetfulness in whose sweet converse we were wont to solace our selves with much delight their souls having left the habitation of their bodies and their bodies resolved into dust and that dust possibly mixt with the dust of wicked men or of the brute Creatures it may be dispersed into the remotest part of the world Ah these be some of the heart-dividing thoughts wherewith we do afflict our Souls But give check to your passions Oh ye mourners of hope and make use of the Cordials which your Heavenly Physitian hath prescribed to keep you from fainting Remember that although their bodies are in the Grave their Souls are with the Spirits of just men made perfect beholding the face of their Father which is in Heaven from whence Jesus Christ God-man when he shall come in the glory of his Father attended with all his mighty Angels will bring them with him And then shall he go to their Graves and as he formerly said unto them Come my people enter into thy Chambers shut the doors about thee go to bed in the Grave and take thy rest so now he will awaken them out of their sleep with a sweet voyce Awake and sing you that dwell in the dust Arise shine for thy light is come the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee c. yea he will kiss them awake with the kisses of his mouth and then as a Father and a Priest will give the Soul in Marriage to the Body again and unite them one to another and both to Himself in an indissoluble bond Oh Christians think with your selves what a joyful meeting that will be when two such ancient Friends that have been parted so long shall meet and embrace and kiss one another never to suffer any more Divorce or fear of Divorce to Eternity How will the Soul bless God when it shall receive its own body again it 's true Yoak-fellow and Fellow-labourer which laboured with it much in the Lord and which was wont to be its Oratory and Temple wherein the Soul performed all its Sacra its holy devotions in season and out of season And how will the Body rejoyce to see the Soul again to whom it was espoused which was the guide of its youth that in its capacity which Christ is to the Soul it 's King Priest and Prophet and by vertue of whose conjunction with it the very body as poor and mean as it was in its original extraction was preferr'd and admitted into Fellowship and Communion with the Son of God and upon that account not forgotten all the while it slept in the land of forgetfulness and thought not of it self I say Solace your selves with the praevision of that Triumph and Exultation that will fill this blessed new-Married couple especially when they shall receive one another so much more excellent than themselves at their last parting that the body shall seem to be Transessentiated into a Soul and the Soul transformed into an Angel of Light Rejoyce O Christian Soul to think how these two morning Stars will sing for joy in this their new and for ever blessed Conjunction Thirdly Thence follow them in your Contemplations following the Judg to the place where the Thrones shall be erected for judgment and there placed on Thrones not as Spectators only but as joynt-Commissioners Where the Saint of a day shall judg the Sinner of an hundred years old yea they shall judg the Old Serpent himself and all his infernal Angels And as that Sentence leaves them so shall they remain to all Eternity Fourthly and in the last place Christians think not so much on your precious Relations
Jesus Christ They shall neither go forth to meet this glorious Bridegroom one moment sooner than their Brethren that are in their Graves nor shall they see him coming in his Glory one moment sooner nor consequently be owned by Christ or received by him or taken up to him or be placed upon Thrones with him or receive their absolution and justification from him or their glorification with him one moment before their fellow-Saints that are yet in their dormitories And truly this is a comfortable word even in the negative part of it Believers may lye down to sleep in their beds of dust not only with the Psalmist's even-Song I will both lay me down in peace and rest Psal 4.8 for thou Lord only wilt make we dwell in safety but with the Lord Jesus his Triumph Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth Psal 16.9 10. my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell c. Christ will not forget his dead in the Grave the living Saints at his coming shall not be made happy without them nor one moment sooner happy in any of the Beatitudes of Christ his coming at the end of the world This comfort I say the very negative part of the Apostles answer to the Objection doth import But then How much stronger Consolation doth the affirtive part afford which although it lye in the close of the next verse yet it being the main branch of the Apostle's accompt whereby he satisfieth the doubt of the dying Servants of God ut suprà we must of necessity speak of it here also with the Negative at least so far as it referrs to the Apostle's scope reserving the consideration of what special and peculiar Import the words carry in them to their own place We are therefore to take notice that the affirmative part of the Apostles satisfaction to the Saints doubt or objection lieth in these words The dead in Christ shall rise first He doth exactly state the method of Christ's procedure at the last Judgment Affirmatively vers 16. viz. That the first business which shall be then transacted shall be the awakening and raising all the Saints of God out of their Graves which from Adam until that moment have slept in the dust The dead in Christ shall rise first nothing shall be done till that be done The very first work Christ will do at his Coming will be to send forth his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet first to awaken the Elect out of their sleep Math. 24.31 Awake you that sleep in the dust and then to gather them from the four winds from the one end of Heaven to the other and when they shall have put on their Wedding garments to conduct them in State and Triumph to meet with their Royal Bridegroom now comn forth more than half way to meet them and to consummate the Marriage which was long since Contracted in the day of their Espousals It were easie to enlarge here but in a word the sum of this Affirmative account is this That the Saints who sleep in the Grave at Christ's coming shall be so far from being made less happy or later happy in the coming of Christ than the Saints who then shall be found alive that they shall be first remembred the first care Christ will take when he comes in the Clouds shall be not about the living Primitiae Resurrectionis but the dead Saints The dead in Christ shall rise first They shall be the first Fruits of the Resurrection They that have slept so long in their beds of dust Ab illis ordo Resurrectionis incipiet shall be first awakened before any thing be done about them that never slept They that were uncloathed and saw corruption in the Grave must first have their bodies cloathed upon with incorruption and then the surviving-Saints at Christ's coming shall be joyned to them that have for so many years and ages slept in Jesus The dead in Christ shall rise first and both be presented together before the Judge It were too little to say Use This may much alleviate the bieterness of death our own or our godly Relations surely it may greatly augment our joy They and we shall be so far from being losers by laying down our earthly Tabernacles in the dust before we see Christ coming in his Glory that it shall be our advantage If there be any priviledg any joy any glory any triumph at that day it shall be theirs who sleep in Jesus and theirs as soon as their surviving-Brethrens The first dawnings of the Sun of Righteousness coming in his Majesty shall shine upon their faces the first-fruits of that Jubilee shall be reserved for a recompence of their long sleep in the Grave they shall begin the health in this cup of Salvation the primacy of all that blessed solemnity belongs to the departed Saints The dead in Christ shall rise first Oh Christians Comfort one another with this word And the rather because this is not an uncertain conjecture which the Apostle laies down here but an assertion of infallible certainty which he had from the divine Oracle Second branch of this Comfort The Authority quoted the Word of the Lord which brings me to the second branch in this seaventh word of Comfort and that is The Authority which the Apostle brings for this Doctrine sc the Word of God This I say unto you by the word of the Lord. He quotes divine Authority for what he delivereth It being a Doctrine of so much encouragement and satisfaction unto dying Saints Praefatur nihil se preferre vel suum vel humanum Calv. a Doctrine above humane capacity and it seemeth not commonly understood by the Churches Saints of God at that time he doth not pass it in his own name or upon his own Authority When he speaks as one that hath obtained mercy to be saithful then it is 1 Cor. 7.12 I speak not the Lord i.e. not by express dictate of the Spirit but by way of Faith Christivice as agreeable to the word but when he speaks as an Apostle insallibly inspired then it is not I but the Lord and so it is here but tells us from whence he had it q.d. What I deliver now unto you I speak not of my self sed ex ore Domini from the mouth of him that is the truth it self the mouth of Jesus Christ This we say unto you in the word of the Lord. Qu. But where or when had the Apostle this Doctrine from Jesus Christ Ans Others are of opinion he had it by immediate Revelation but as to the time they differ Some conjecture 1 Cor. 12.2.4 the Apostle had this mysterie revealed to him at what time he was rapt up to the third Heaven and there heard unspeakable words amongst which one was this comfortable Doctrine that the living Saints shall not prevent the dead Saints in any glorious
of his humiliation Thirdly Third Reas to finish his Mediatory Office Our Lord Jesus Christ must come himself at the last day to perfect and finish his Mediatory-Office At his first coming his Mediatory-work was to pay a price to divine Justice 1 Per. 1.19 So he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so to purchase us of his Father At his second coming his Mediatory-work will be to gather all his Redeemed ones together and to present them a glorious Church to his Father not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but holy and without blemish in some such language as was long before Prophesied Behold here am I and the Children whom thou hast given me Isa 8.18 And again as when he was going out of the world he gave his account to his Father of all whom thou hast given me Joh. 17.12 I have lost none but the Son of perdition At his first coming his Mediatory-work was to fight with the Devil Act. 26.18 Colos 1.13 Luk. 11.21 22. In this respect he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.26 and all the powers of darkness and to rescue what he had bought of the Father out of the power of Satan that strong man armed who kept his goods in peace At his second coming his Mediatory-work will be to vanquish all those Enemies out of whose dominion he hath freed his Elect to bind them with chains to cast them into everlasting darkness and to seal the bottomless pit upon them for ever And when he hath done this the Lord Jesus shall deliver up the Kingdome to his Father His Office is not compleated till this be done God's Oath is past upon it and cannot be reverst Isa 45.23 c. The Text is applyed to Christ presently upon his Exaltation to this very purpose Phil. 2.20 Well then we have now found out the person of the Judg. The Lord Himself c. And for the Use it may serve 1. For infinit terror to the Wicked 2. For unspeakable Consolation to the Godly First it serves for infinit terror to the Wicked Use 1 That the Judgment now should be put into the hand of Him Terror to the Wicked whom of all the world they counted their Enemy at least if they did not call him so they used him so Oh what a dreadful sight will his Appearance be If Ahab cryed out with so much discomposure of spirit at the suddain appearance of Elijah the Prophet of God Hast thou found me Oh mine Enemy With what horror and affrightment will Reprobate Gaitiff's cry out when they shall be drag'd from before the Tribunal of the Lord Jesus the Lord of the Prophets Hast thou found us Oh our Enemy If Josephs Brethren were so astonished at the presence of Joseph when he said unto them I am Joseph whom you sold into Egypt How will all the world of ungodly men be confounded at the presence of the Lord now coming in the glory of his Father to Judg them when he shall say unto them I am Jesus I am Jesus whom ye sold for less than ever Judas sold me even for the price of a base Lust I am Jesus whom ye Crucified over and over again to your selves and put me to an open shame I am Jesus whose Person you have slighted whose Government you have spurn'd at crying in the Pride and Rebellion of your obstinate spirits We will not have this man Reign over us I am Jesus whose Counsel you have rejected whose Threatnings you have laughed to scorn whose Promises you have derided and set at nought I am Jesus whose Blood you have trampled under your feet as an Vnholy thing even doing despite to the Spirit of grace c. I say Now will the Reprobate world be confounded at the presence of their Judg Behold in the days of his Flesh when he appeared in the forme of a Servant and was even led away as a Sheep to the Slaughter and as a Lamb before the Shearer not opening his mouth by way of murmur against his Father or reviling against his Enemies yet how did that Lamb-like Word I am He fill the hearts of those sturdy Souldiers who came to apprehend Him with horror and strike them to the ground like a blast of Thunder and Lightning Oh how will that word when he shall come cloathed with Majesty and terror with all the glorious Host of Heaven attending his Person I am he fill Reprobate Souls with astonishment and distraction and even strike them backward into Hell before their time How will it cause them to woo the Mountains and Rocks now as hard and inexorable as their hearts once were in the day of God's patience crying out to them to the amazement of Heaven and Earth Mountains Fall on us Rev. 6.26 27. Rocks cover us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the Throne and from the presence of the Lamb for the great day of his Wrath is come and who shall be able to stand But all in vain As the Lord Jesus once in the day of his grace cryed unto them and they would not answer c. So they shall now cry to Heaven and Earth to Rocks and Mountains Prov. 1.24 25 26. Psal 50.22 and they shall not answer yea the Judg shall laugh at their Calamity and mock when their fear cometh Oh consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Second Use Second Use of Comfort to the Saints Christ Himself will be their Judg. But on the contrary unspeakable Consolation may this doctrine of Christ's personal Appearance speak to the Godly the Sheep of Christ which have heard his voyce speaking to them in the Gospel of peace and have obeyed it Behold He that in the days of his flesh came to be their Redeemer now in the day of his power shall come to be their Judge He that so often pleaded for them to his Father and for whom they so often pleaded and contended with a disobedient and gain-saying Generation I say He shall now be their Judg and pass sentence upon them their Friend their Brother their Head their Husband What need they fear that Tribunal where not their Enemies who were wont fasâ—y to accuse and condemn them no not their prejudiced and imprudent Friends who somtimes have rashly and causelesly mis-judged them much less the Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 who accused them before their God day and night none of these I say shall sit in Judgment But their dear Redeemer who for their sake came down from Heaven that loved them so dearly that he died for love of them that he might Redeem them and wash them in his own Blood He that Regenerated Sanctified Justified Preserved and Perfected them He to whom both in Life and Death they were so nearly and inseparably Vnited and by vertue of which Conjunction they are now
Glorious Powerful Spiritual A Change which we are not in a capacity to understand till we shall possess it And all these admirable Properties the blessed Apostle hath cast up into one Word a word of a most incomprehensible signification the Summa totalis the vast comprehensive estimate of all the rest sc Our vile bodies shall be fashioned like to Christ his Glorious body Phil. 3.21 This short comprehensive description of the glory of the Resurrection is exprest also by way of Opposition to its Contrary that the excellency of the Resurrection might be more illustrious being compared with the meanness and obscurity of the present state and either of them is absolved in one word The meaness of the present state of the body It is a Vile Body The glory of the future It shall be conformed to Christs Glorious Body The body now is a vile body Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our body of this vileness A word of so full a signification that in the whole Dictionary of Language there cannot be found a term more proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the meaness and ignominie of the present state Some derive it from a Greek word which signifies to bury expressing such a corrupt and fordid thing as if with Lazarus it had layn four days stinking in the Grave Joh. 11.39 a Carcase that stincks above ground how much more when it is buried indeed Others derive it from a word that signifies to stamp and tread under-foot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calcari See Mr. Calamies Sermon Preached at Dr. Boltons Funeral implying the body in it self to be of so fordid and base an Extraction since the Fall as is fit for nothing but to be cast out upon the dunghill and trampled under the feet of man and beasts whether alive or dead it is a vile thing set aside only its divine workmanship Vileness it self Why-but now the Resurrection shall make amends for all Then this vile body shall be fashioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto Christ his glorious body like i. e. of a like form and fashion to Christs body that must needs be a ravishing beauty indeed for mark ye it is not like to Christ his body in his state of Humiliation which yet was full of beauty though the blind world could not see it Isa 53. Joh. 1.14 The divine beauty beaming it self through the very body of Christ and adding lustre unto it Exod. 34.30 they whose eyes were opened saw and admired we behâ—ld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth But in the Resurrection it is said Our vile bodies shall be fashioned like to his Glorious body surely that must needs excel in glory Behold if such were the brightness of Moses his face at the giving of the Law that the Israelites were not able to bear it They were afraid saith the Text to come nigh him If St. Stephens Countenance did shine as the face of an Angel when he stood holding up his hand at the bar of his Unrighteous Judges in the posture of a Malefactor what think we is the lustre and brightness which shines forth from the glorified body of the Lord Jesus 1 Tim. 6.15 16. who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath immortality Math. 17.3 dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see Behold in his transfiguration Heb. 11.3 In Regia Caelorum sedet Jesus ad dextram Patris Tert. de Resurr Carnis his Face did shine as the Sun and his Rayment was white as Snow What ravishing beams of light and glory do Moses and Elias and Peter now see sparkling from his glorified Person exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high i. e. on the highest Throne of the highest Majesty in the Court of Heaven Illud corpus cadaverosum configurabit corpori claritaris suâ— Aug. Verâ—or ne temerarium sit omne quod de illa proferiur elâ—quiâ—m August de civit Dei Lib. 22. Cap. 21. Surely the glorified body of Christ doth as far surpass the Sun in brightness as the Sun surpasseth a clod of Earth and yet to this Exemplar of glory must the bodies of the Saints be conformed in the Resurrection Surely glorious things are spoken of the Resurrection So great so glorious that had not the Spirit of God spoken them before it had been daring presumption to have reported or believed it Qu. But some may say How can these things be or How is it possible that such rotten stinking Carcasses should be capable of such a glorious Metamorphosis Ans It may well non-pluss our poor dark Infant-understandings For eye hath not seen nor ear heard 1 Cor. 2.9 nor hath it entred into the heart of man what glory God hath prepared for the very bodies of his Saints But because it is wonderful in our eyes Shall it be wonderful in the eyes of the Lord of Hosts With men indeed this is impossible but with God all things are possible O LORD GOD thou knowest Ezek. 27.3 was the answer which the Prophet of old returned to that non-plussing question concerning the Resurrection of the dry bones of the house of Israel a Type of this last and general Resurrection He referr'd it as being a mystery transcending his understanding to Divine Wisdome and Omnipotence to resolve And upon the same bottom doth our Apostle here fix this Mystery and our Faith sc It is according to the working of his mighty Power whereby he is able to subdue even all things to Himself In his own Resurrection the Lord Jesus as Mediator gave us a signal specimen of his power Colos 2.15 when he spoiled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly He subdued the Devil Hell and the Grave to himself got them under his feet and led Captivity Captive by vertue of which Conquest he became the Resurrection and the Life and therefore is able to exert the same power and influence in raising his Members and in conforming them to their Head which he put forth in his own Resurrection it is a work of no greater difficulty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The bodies of the Saints shall be raised tanta facilitate quanta faelicitate with as much ease as happiness Aug. If it were He is able to subdue even all things it is a note of similitude All things are alike to Omnipotence the greatest are as the least Our Impossibles are all one to him as our facilities nothing can stand in his way which he cannot subdue and conquer to Himself i. e. at his own pleasure to his own glorious purposes and designes And therefore even this admirable and stupendious Transformation shall be effected upon those poor deformed Carcasses of his Saints which sense and reason gave for lost Faith says it shall be done our vile
impossible for the Sinner to deny any particular but he will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-condemned Secondly As there will be no denying 2. No Extenuation so there will be no room for extenuation this was one of the Sinner's hiding places while in the Land of the Living Sinners have their buts Eccle. 5.6 Iâ— was an Errour per exteruationum It was but a mistakâ— now It was but thus and thus it was but a little one c. Great sins were but small sins and small sins were no sins Now the Sinner will have no such Sanctuary to fly unto the Account will now be inverted Those that were no sins before will be sins now small sins will be great sins and great sins will be infinite the last Judgment will give sin its just proportion that which the Law could never do though it were given on purpose the Fire of the day of Judgment will effectually do make sin appear exceeding sinful The Popish distinction of mortal and venial sin will vanish before that fire into smoak while Penitent reforming Sinners will find all their sins Venial in the blood of Christ secure impenitent Sinners will find every sin mortal and damning in its own merit and nature the Carnal Protestant will then find to his cost there is no such thing as a small sin because then he will be convinced there is no small God against whom sin is commited no small Law whereof sin is the violation no small Christ whom sin hath Crucified no small Heaven which sin hath forfeited no little Hell which sin hath merited and by its merit hath justly now plunged him into for ever Thirdly 3 No translating of sin there will be no translating of sin upon others as here below there was the Thief enticed me the Drunkard seduced me Gen. 3.13 the Harlot deceived me the Serpent beguiled me yea what bold Sinners are not afraid to speak will not then be heard amongst the Malefactors at Christ's Bar God tempted me Jam. 1.13 or God decreed it no these and all other palliations and colours wherewith men do wash the face of sin will melt before the fire of the day of Judgment God will say to the Sinner Jer. 2.17 Hast thou not procured these things to thy self yea Sinners shall then own their own guilt confess that their destruction is of themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—ut de seâ—â Num. vindict their heart shall cry out as Apollodore dreamt his heart cried to him in a Cauldron of boyling Lead O Apollodore I am the Cause of this Vengeance how have I hated Instruction and my heart despised Reproof and have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me Fourthly There will lye no appeal from this Tribunal 4. No appealing once there lay an appeal from Moses to Christ from the Law to the Gospel but proud Sinners scorned it or securely presumed they had made the appeal by a loose verbal Application of Jesus Christ whil'st yet they stuck in themselves and their own foolish presumptions their serving of God their good works and their good meanings and their good desires and why should not they be saved as well as others but now if they should appeal their appeal's with themselves will be cast out as Reprobate Silver this is now the supream and last Judicatory from hence is no appeal once doomed here the sentence is irreversible for ever Fifthly 5. No Pardon Neither is there any Pardon to be expected at this Judgment Seat Pardons were tendered in the Gospel upon gracious terms but ungracious Sinners would have none of them or would have them upon their own terms Sin and Pardon too their Pardons were nothing unless they might have dispensations also such as the Pope sells often times but Christ's Pardons sc Pardon Repentance Pardon of sin and forsaking of sin Pardon of sin and Hatred of sin Act. 5.31 Prov. 28.13 Jude 23. Heb. 12.14 Pardon and Holiness would not be accepted and now the time of Pardons is out the day of Grace is expired no cries nor entreaties will prevail with the Judg no though the Sinner would fall upon his knees and weep as many Seas of Tears as once the Ministers wept Tears of Compassion over them or as Christ himself shed drops of blood upon the Cross Christ was once upon his knees in the Person of his Ministers beseâ—ching them to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Though the Sinner was first in the Transgression yet God was first in the Reconciliation and followed the Sinner as it were on his knees intreating him to accept of Mercy as if God had stood in as much need of the Sinner as the Sinner did of Mercy but nothing would prevail a deaf ear was still turned to Christ's importunity and now Repentance is hid from the eyes of the Judg as once Repentance was hid from the eyes of the Sinner the things of their peace are everlastingly hid because they knew them not in that the day of their Vision As Sinners obdurated their heart against Christ's voyce so Christ will harden his heart against the Sinner's cry Prov. 1.24 Sixthly There shall be no mitigation of the punishment not a farthing abated of the whole debt 6. No mitigation Math. 5.26 there was once Mercy without Judgment before the Sinner now there shall be Judgment without Mercy now Sinners shall know that God is not mocked that the Lamb of God is also the Lyon of the Tribe of Juda His voyce was once Fury is not in me Isa 27.4 now the voyce will be Meckness is not in me mercy is not in me now must the Sinner expect nothing but the utmost severity of divine justice who once despised the yearnings of Christ's bowels the lowest condescentions of divine Grace the Sinner in his day knew no moderation in sin the Judg now in his day will know no mitigation of Judgment there will be a Sea of wrath without a drop of Mercy Seventhly Not a word of any good that ever the wicked did 7. No mention of any good that ever Sinners did shall now be mentioned to their honour or advantage as none of the sins which ever the Saints committed were mentioned to their shame in their Process so none of the good that ungodly Sinners have done shall be once named unless it be by way of aggravation of their sins for indeed they mannaged the good they did at such a rate Splendida peccata Aug. as even their duties differed not from their sin As under the Law the Sacrifice of the Wicked was abomination to the Lord killing Oxen but Murder Prov. 15.8 Isa 66.3 Sacrificing Lambs but cutting off Dogs necks Oblations as Swines blood Incense as Idolatry so under the Gospel their Prayers were but so many takings of God's Name in vain and hearing the Word mocking of God Fasting but holding
the wicked 2.73 Of great comfort to the godly 2.75 Judgment-day whether the Saints that are then alive must die literally or analogically only 2.65 Why concealed 2.68 Whether Christ will sit upon a visible throne 2.70 Christ will appear in the same humane nature which he assumed of the Virgin and why 2.71 Christ will appear personally for three reasons 1 The judgment must be personal 2.70 2 A recompence to his abasement 2.71 3 To perfect his mediatory office 2.72 Justification the Saints shall be fully and finally justified at the last day which consists 1 In their publick absolution 2.133 2 In the Judge his pronouncing them perfectly righteous 2.138 God justifieth a sinner in that way wherein he may justifie himself 2.141 It is not by any intrinsick merit in faith but extrinsick object that faith layeth hold on 2.148 It is variously denominated according to its causes 2.153 Legal and evangelical what it is 2.154 Law and Gospel reconciled in the mystery of justification 2.153 K Kindness all kindnesses done to Christ or his members will be owned at the day of judgment 2.129 Knowledge whether the Saints shall know one another with a distinguishing knowledge in heaven affirm 3.8 Knowledge of one another in heaven a great motive to converse one with another on earth 3.11 Whether the knowledge of our elect relations in heaven do not infer a distinct knowledge of our relations in hell and whether that may not be terrible Neg. 3.13 How many wayes we shall have knowledge of God set forth by several steps 3.31 L Law pardon is not the qualification that the Law requireth but perfection 2.139 That which God at first wrote in mans heart and afterwards in two tables of stone was a law of a most holy and absolute perfection 2.143 The law the image of Gods nature and will 2.143 It was given to be 1 A rule and pattern of an holy life 2.144 2 A condition of eternal life ibid. It is of perpetual necessity 2.144 It is not to be dispenced withall 2.144 Christ did not bring in another law but another medium to fulfil the former 2.144 Christ as Mediator was born under the law 2.145 Christ his fulfilling the law was performed in and by the humane nature 2.149 Law and Gospel reconciled in the great mystery of justification 2.153 Likeness we shall be like God in 1 Our understanding 3.78 2 Our will 3.80 3 Our affections 3.80 4 Our memories 5 the whole image 1 The soul 3.81 2 the body 3.82 Loss fear of loosing of heaven would make it worse than hell 3.96 Love of God a great assurance of the eternity of heaven 3.94 A superlative love to Christ an evidence of heaven 3.120 M Marriage of the Lamb consummated at the last day and the solemnity of it 2.162 Marriage its happiness consists in suitableness 3.67 Maityrdom like Elijah 's Charriot 3.139 Means God not tyed to them 3.48 Memory the Saints shall be like God in their memories 3.80 Of the Saints shall be like the ark of the covenant 3.80 Mercy the mercy of God an assurance of heavens eternity 3.92 Ministers must preach nothing but what is warranted by the word 2.67 They may preach with success and yet be cast out 2.171 They must see that the comforts they administer be Gods comforts 3.154 Miscarriage of the image of God in Adam not of improvidence but ordination 3.80 Mistake no mistake of one anothers condition in heaven 3.7 Mixture of Saints and sinners will be here 2.116 Mortification exercise the duties of it 3 130 Motives to assurance 3.111 Mourners are to open their ears and hearts to words of comfort 3.156 Mystery divers mysteries mentioned namely 1 Of the Trinity 2 Of the Incarnation 3 Of Election and Reprobation 4 Of the Creation of the World 5 Of the Resurrection 6 Of all the Arcana Naturae 3.51 We must not pry too much into them 3.55 N Nature the fulfilling of the Law was performed in and by the humane nature 2.149 Negatives cannot fill a dying man with comfort 3.160 O Omnipotence all things are alike to it 2.100 It supports the Saints under their happiness as well as the wicked under their misery 3.90 92 It is omnipotence in God that he cannot sin 3 90 Ordinances a dangerous notion of being above them 3.48 In what sense it is good to live above them ibid. Not to rest in or contented with them 3.49 P Pardon pardon of sin is the privative part of justification 2.133 How sins past present and to come are pardoned in conversion and how not 2.134 Sin fully pardoned at death ibid. It makes sin as if it had never been 2.135 It is not sufficient to capacitate the Saints for glory 2.139 It looks backward Righteousness forward 2.142 It is not the qualification which the Law requireth but perfection 2 139 If God should only pardon and not justifie it would seem to reflect upon 1 Gods Wisdom 2 142 2 Gods â—ll-sufficiency ibid. 3 Gods Veracity and Justice ibid. It maketh not a man righteous 2.148 No pardon at the Judgment-seat 2.169 Perseverance stands not in the nature of grace 1.39 It stands not in the liberty or rectitude of the will though regenerate 1.39 It stands upon 1 Divine compact 140 2 Vnion with Christ ibid. Pleasure sensitive pleasures have only their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 108 Praâ—se Saints shall be praised for their graces at the last day though wrought in them c. 2.132 Prayer get the faithful to pray for thee and pray for thy self 3.131 Words of prayer are to be joyned with words of comfort 3.165 Presence the Saints shall ever be in the presence of Christ 3.2 Precepts in one place are promises in another 3.112 Pride there is much of pride in refusing comfort 3.157 Promises ought to be studied 3.163 Learn to which of Christs Offices each promise relateth 3.164 Promises in one place are precepts in another 3.112 Refer them to their distinct heads 3.163 They then bring comfort when they are applied by the Spirit 3.164 Propriety to enjoy heaven and to know I do enjoy it is the happiness of happiness 3.71 Punishment shall not be mitigated at the judgment 2.170 Purchase and election are both perfected by the sanctification of the Spirit 2.123 R Recompence Christ his speaking honourably of the Saints in the last day will abundantly recompence the reproaches they have here 2.133 Reconciliation God is first in reconciliation though sinners first in the transgression 2.169 Redeemer he undertook two great works for the redeemed 1. One to make satisfaction for sin 2. The other to yield absolute conformity to the Law of God 2.140 Regeneration Conformity of the Saints to Christ in the Resurrection hath its beginning in it 2.101 111 Relations ours not alone in their death 1.9 When dead they are not lost but sowen 1.19 Though they cease in heaven yet the remembrance of them ceaseth not 3.12 Remembrance the book of Gods remembrance and book of conscience