divine essence is an arbitrary and voluntary glass manifesting all mysteries not by necessity but according to the freedom of his own will there the Saints may read to the full the Mystery of the blessed Trinity how three in one and one in three Father Son and Holy Ghost God blessed for ever That thrice glorious and till we come to Heaven not to be fathomed Mystery the wonder and adoration of the believing world that immense ocean over which so many daring Spirits having essayed to fly have fallen in and been drowned that burning light unto which so many presuming to approach too near have scorcht their wings and lost both their eyes and themselves together that sacred Ark into which too many presumptuous Bethshemites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having dared over boldly to look have been smitten What is essence And what is person And how they differ How the Father begets and the Son is begotten and how the Holy Ghost proceeds from both how they are distinguished by their order their personal properties and manner of working upon the Creature how the Father worketh from himself the Son worketh from the Father and the Holy Ghost worketh both from the Father and the Son How there should be alius alius and not aliud aliud c. These will be Lectures which shall be read in the Trinity it self in glory and that in a most clear and intelligible notion then shall the Saints be able to understand the mystery of the incarnation of the second Person the Son of God that Mystery of Godliness of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 because it transforms sinners into Saints and mystery because it containeth so many deep and mysterious wonders in it The blessed blessed-making Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ scil Why the second Person in Trinity rather than the first or third should be incarnate Why he should take the nature of man rather than the nature of Angels and that when it was at the worst how he could take the nature of sinful man and yet not take the sinfulness of his nature the Hypostatical union between the divine and humane natures in the Lord Jesus in one person how there should be there aliud aliud and yet not alius alius That mysterious union between the Lord Christ the Head and all Believers the true Members of his body what it is and how they are made one with Christ as the Father and the Son are one this precious Mystery I say shall then be made manifest Jehn 14.20 at that day you shall know both what it is and how it is that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you c. then and not till then How he that is every where filling Heaven and Earth with his presence should yet be included in the narrow limits of a Virgins womb How he that made the Law should be made under the Law How the Ancient of dayes should become an Infant of moments How he that was begot before all time should be born in the fulness of time Ephes 3.10 How a Virgin and yet a Mother These and a thousand difficulties more wherein doth meet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiform multivarious wisdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.12 Ephes 3.10 as lines in a center where into the very Angels desire to peep and for some imperfect discoveries whereof they are glad to be beholding to the Lectures read in the Churches by their * Hoc vâ—rd nostra altior no titis praedicatur quam Anclorum tan 〈◊〉 intelligit Petrus ea nobu promitti quorum complementum videre cupiunt Cal. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludit ad propuiatorii formam c. Jam tum indicante figurâ fore ut in Christo cujus typur erat arca omnes sapientiae intelligentiae insiderent thesauri per Evangelii praedicationâ—m patesaciendi avidâ— ipsis Angelâ— beatâ— totum hoc mysterium cognoscare cujus etiam exhibitionem jam inde ab ipâ—is Christi noscentu incunabilu ecclesiae enarrâ—rant Beza in loc earthly Angels the Ministers of the Gospel these I say shall be clearly read and understood in that original wisdom wherein they were first conceived That profound and dark Mystery of Election and Reprobation why God should chuse one and leave another Why God should love Jacob and hate Esau Why the one should become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why first the Jews should be a Church and the Gentiles Aliens should afterward be adopted into the Covenant and the Jews broken off and cast out That God should break open the heart of a rebellious sinner by efficacious Grace and deny sufficient aid to one that hath improved his present strength far better With all other the dark profound Mysteries of Gods Decrees shall then be made glasses And lastly That mystery of wickedness and abominations and why God hath suffered him so long to reign and to usurp so great a part of Christs purchased and promised possessions with all his witchcrafts and sorceries whereby he hath deceived the Nations they shall all be discovered and brought to light to his eternal shame and confusion That God should shine out only upon some few spots of ground with the light of the Gospel and shut up the rest in palpable darkness The Creation of the World shall then be more clearly understood in the cause than now it is in the effect how all things were made out of the first matter and that out of nothing Rev. 13 10 14.12 Those hard mysteries of providence which do now try and exercise the faith and patience of the Saints scil Why they that are best should speed worst That there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked and again That there be wicked men Eccl 8.14 unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous In so much that now we call the proud happy Mal. 3.15 and they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered Why the worse cause should many times have the better success Why God should suffer his dearest Children to be abused and insulted over when wickedness in the mean while triuÌ„mphs securely Why wickedness should be set up in high places and innocence should be trod under foot Somewhat of these Riddles the Word doth now interpret unto the Saints blessed be God to command their silence and submission to God but then shall they return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not all this will be then seen in God to infinite satisfaction The grand Article of the Faith The Resurrection of the dead being then already past shall be fully understood how the body after thousands of years in some through unutterable varieties of mutations and vast
wailing and gnashing of Teeth which shall never have an end For Use In the first place it may serve as a Cordial to the Saints of God Use 1. A Cordial whether in reference to their own dissolution or the dissolution of their precious Relations already fallen asleep Behold the descent of the Saints of God into the Grave is not with so much weakness ignominy and abasement as their Ascent after the Resurrection to meet their Lord in the Air shall be with Power Triumph and Glory Christ shall draw them Clouds shall carry them Angels shall conduct them Yea they shall mount up to Heaven by vertue of those Christ-like impressions stampt upon their glorified bodies in the Resurrection Each one of these were sufficient All these must needs be exceeding Glorious yet Such honour have all the Saints Secondly There is Caution in it as well as Comfort Use 2. Caution And that is Begin this Ascention betimes Labour to experience this Heavenly motion on this side of the Grave Sursum corda Lift up your heads Oh ye Gates and be ye lift up Oh ye everlasting Doors behold The Resurrection and Ascention in the future state of happiness have their spring and rise in the present state of holiness they are linke in and joyned one to another in the eternal counsel and purpose of God with the very same Connexion wherewith Birth and Conception are lincked together Harvest and Seed-time So that look what impossibility there is in nature that there should be a Birth where was no Conception or an Harvest where no Semination the same impossibility there is that such a person should share in the Resurrection of Glory that is a stranger to the Resurrection of Grace the new Birth or that a Man or Woman should Ascend to meet Jesus Christ in the Clouds who in the state of Regeneration labours not often to meet Christ in the Mount of holy Meditation If therefore ye be risen with Christ Colos 3.1 2. seek those things which are above where Christ sits at Gods right hand set your affections on things above Christ after he arose from the dead did often ascend to his Father till at the end of 40 days He went up to Heaven in the sight of his Disciples Acts 1.9 10. Do ye also imitate your blessed Lord in your frequent ascentions after him and thereby evidence to your selves not only that you are already risen with Christ in the Resurrection of Holiness but that ye shall also arise with Him and Ascend to Him at his coming in his Glory Christians let not that man think ever to be caught up to meet the Lord in the Air who is patient of being a stranger to Christ in the Spirit without God in the world Eph. 2.12 and without hope he burieth his hope of Ascending where Christ is who burieth his heart and affections in the dunghil of worldly and sensual fruitions Oh labour to say with the Apostle though our Commoration be on Earth our * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Traffique Burgesship Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour Phil. 3.20 though ye walk below Aug. The Saints do uti mundo but frui Deo Carnal men do uti Deo frui mundo Corpore ambulamus in terra corde habitamus in coelo Aug. yet live above Though ye use the world yet labour to enjoy God and to be able to say with holy David Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.26 Though ye have your converse with men let your Communion be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 Labour to say with Augustine Our bodies are on Earth our hearts in Heaven while the men of the world Earthlize Heavenly things do you study how to Heavenlize Earthly things labour as he did to eat and drink and sleep Eternal Life So may you with an holy Confidence go along with the Apostle from whence we look for the Lord Jesus Christians can no further look for the Lord Jesus to Descend from Heaven then as they themselves in the mean time labour to be often Ascending with him into Heaven Heavenly-mindedness is the Saints Evidence and first-fruits of their Heavenly-blessedness I have done with the second Consequent I come to the third Consequent of Christ's Coming Thirdly Third Consequent of Christs Coming The Saints joyful meeting and it is two-fold 1. One with another 2. With Christ their Head The one is Implied the other Exprest The Saints meeting one with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is implied in this Adverbial particle Vnà Together we shall be caught up together with him i. e. We which shall be found alive upon the face of the Earth at Christs coming together with them which being fallen asleep before of elder or later time Christ hath now raised up out of their Graves we and they shall All be caught up together c. This I say presupposeth their meeting together antecedaneous to their Ascention how else can they co-Ascend if not congregated before they Ascend And therefore in order of nature though the Saints meeting together should have been spoken to before their Ascention yet the series of the words not well admitting this method it will not be improper to consider it where it meets us The Scripture takes notice of the Saints meeting one with another as distinct from their meeting with the Lord Jesus Mat. 24.31 The Elect shall be gathered together from the four winds from one end of the Heavens to another At what distance soever imaginable they were disperst and scattered they shall all meet together into one distinct body or Assembly And then co-ascend to meet their Lord. Some of the School-men apply that passage of the Prophet Isa 10.34 They shall Mount up with wings as Eagles to this ascention of the Saints after the Resurrection Whether that be so or no we may not incongruously suppose the Elect of God to be gathered together into some one * Some suppose the Valley of Jehâ—shaphat vast capacious tract or region of ground on the right hand of the Judgment-seat from thence to take their flight together to meet the Judg in the Air. We must understand the placing of the Sheep on the right hand and the Goats on the left hand to be upon the ground for the Wicked shall not Ascend to meet Christ and the Godly when Ascended shall be placed on Seats round about the Throne Mat. 25.33 And of this Congregation of the Elect the Scripture assigneth a two-fold Cause 1. CHRIST the principal efficient Cause The Son of man shall come in the Clouds and shall send his Angels and shall gather the Elect from the four winds from the uttermost part of the Earth to the uttermost part of Heaven He not They Christ not the Angels shall gather his Elect together Christ Autocratorically by
and shall be filled with horror and astonishment in the certain looking for of Judgment and that siery Inaignation which shall devour the Adversaries and even now already seising upon them For surely this Sight shall be the beginning of their sorrows but of everlasting joys and triumphs to the followers of the Lamb Who now comes in glory to meet them and to receive them to himself Which brings me to the second Meeting mentioned here in the Text c. The Saints meeting with Christ their Head The Saints meeting with Christ Jesus to meet the Lord in the Air. In this Meeting there be three things considerable 1. The Persons meeting 2. The Place where they meet 3. The ends of their meeting 1. The Persons meeting Christ and his Saints He Descends to meet them and they Ascend to meet him Such is the Love and Condescention of the Lord Jesus to his Saints that he cometh out of his Royal Pavilion more than half way to meet them and then sends his Charrets and Horse-men a Guard of Angels to carry them up in the Clouds and to conduct them unto the place where he stayeth for them There shall they be brought into his Royal presence and like a Royal Spouse who hath been long separated from her Bridegroom by distance of place they shall fall down before Him and with Tears of joy shall wash his feet and wipe them dry with the Kisses of their Lips while at the same time Christ will take his Bride up into his Arms and with the Father of the Prodigal fall upon her neck and kiss her and with all the unconceivable expressions of Love and Joy receive her to Himself and bid her welcom into his presence Oh! what Soul can conceive what mutual Joy and Triumph there will be between Jesus Christ and his Saints in this blessed Interview Oh how welcome will the Saints be to the Lord Jesus at that day The Saints under a three-fold Relation when he shall look upon them under a three-fold Relation sc 1. As the Father's Election First The Fathers Election Joh 10.6 Eph 1.18 To see the whole number of names which were given unto him by the Father from all Eternity as the fruit and reward of his Passion now at the last all gathered together and given into his actual possession as an inheritance for ever 2. To look upon them as the Purchase of his own Blood 2. The Sons Purchase If it was a satisfaction to the Lord Jesus when behold he was in the throws and agonies of his Travel with them upon the Cross to see his Seed Isa 53 11. when they were but in the swadling Cloaths of their imperfect Regeneration according to their successive generations wherein they were to be brought into the Church Oh what infinite satisfaction will it now be to the Lord Jesus to see the Travel of his Soul in their perfect and consummate estate all the mixtures of Corruption and Infirmity now deleted and they come to a perfect man to the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ to see them all brought in not a Soul wanting of all those whose names he bare upon his breast while he hung upon the Cross that not one drop of Blood not one Prayer not a Sigh or Groan or Tear that ever he spent for them in the days of his Flesh is lost or fruitless as to any one Soul whom he purchased of the Father Joh. 17.12 In the Pastoral charge of Christ there was one Son of Perdition but in his Mediatory charge not one Soul shall miscarry but all shall be presented to him safe and entire at his appearance And over them shall he glory saying as it were All these are mine the Travel of my Soul the Purchase of my Blood the Fruit of my Agonies for these I was born and for these I was made under the Law For these I Bled Joh. 1â— 24 and for these I made my self an Offering for sin Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me Come near unto me my Sons and my Daughters that I may kiss you Gen. 27.27 See the smell of my Redeemed is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed A Woman when she is in Travel hath sorrow because her hour is come Joh. 16.21 but as soon as she is delivered she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man-Child is born into the World Surely the joy of our Lord will so much transcend the joy of all natural Mothers by how much his agonies were more bitter the birth more precious and his Soul more capacious of higher and purer joyes than are to be sound in the poor narrow Creature 3. When he shall look upon them as the charge and deposisitum of the Holy Ghost Whom the Father did Elect the Son was to purchase and whom the Son purchased the Spirit was to Sanctifie Who therefore is called the Holy-Ghost not only because as the third glorious Person in the blessed Trinity he is essentially holy in himself but because by Office he is a Fountain of Holiness to all the Elect. The Blood of Christ indeed is the Fountain of Merit but the Spirit of Christ the Fountain of operation and efficacy gathering the Elect out of the world wherein they lay in common with the rest of the lost Sons and Daughters of Adam Gal. 5.22 23. planting their Souls with the habits of Grace which are therefore called the Fruits of the Spirit and then acting supporting preserving and ripening those habits into perfection The Father's Election and the Son's Purchase are both perfected by the Sanctification of the Spirit The Father's Election 2 Thes 2.13 so the Apostle tells his Thessalonians God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit The Son's purchase Tit. 3.5 He saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Oh how acceptable then must the Offering up of the Saints be to Jesus Christ because thus Sanctified by the Holy-Ghost And when Christ shall thus present his Redeemed unto Himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but Holy and without blemish How will he rejoyce over her as the Bridegroom over his Bride That day being indeed the Marriage of the Lamb of which anon Rev. 19.7 Thus will the Lord Jesus the King of glory rejoyce to meet the Saints And surely the Saints according to their finite capacity will not less rejoyce and triumph to meet their Lord. Oh! to meet him now whom their Soul loved whom in the days of their Pilgrimage upon Earth they often sought and could not find sought him in Prayer Meditation Conference c. but could not find him and when they could not find him mourned for him lamented after him bedewed their
felicity amongst sensual men who live no higher than the brate beasts of the earth meerly by sight and sence but when all is done the pardoned man is the blessed man yea he is blest and blest and blest again double and treble blessednesses are his portion for ever In like manner we may conceive our holy Apostle calling after sinners and even beseeching them not to loose themselves and their precious souls in the pursuit of a lye They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies Jonah 2.8 Here therefore he discovers to them who are blessed and what it is that will make them happy for ever only with this difference David's Maschil in the Psalm describes initial blessedness the holy Apostle here describes perfect and consummate blessedness David describes the blessedness of the way Paul sets forth to us the blessedness of the Country and state whither the Saints are travelling David speaketh of the blessedness which lieth in order and tendency to blessedness Saint Paul of ultimate and supreme blessedness the summum bonum the chief and most transcendent good which either the Creature is capable of or God can confer on it even immediate vision and fruition of himself to all eternity Ever with the Lord. Adam by that first candle which God lighted in his first creation clearly saw in what his summum bonum did confist and for a moment enjoyed it but the Angel who kepe not his first estate envying his happiness Ad solamen calomitat is suae incipit perditus pordere well remembring the method of his own apostacy tempts him by the same medium of pride to cast himself down from the pinnacle of happiness whereon he stood whereby himself fell down from heaven and the temptation unhappily took for while Adam was ambitious to be a sun he miserably put out his candle and so lost his way and himself too since which time none of his unhappy posterity could ever by the help of that snuff which remained find their way again to true happiness How miserably did the great Sophiâ—s of the world the Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 21. In their ratiocinations those Secretaries of Nature the reputed Masters of Knowledge and Learning cum ratione insanire and in the Apostles language Grow vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened How did they weary themselves with the blind Sodomites to grope out the door which openeth to happiness but lost themselves instead of finding the truth Varro the learnedst of the Romans maketh report of no less than two hundred and eighty Opinions in his time concerning mans chiefest good Aul. Gol. each differing from the other and all from the truth as Basilis is reported to have asserted one hundred sixty five Heavens To this very day we see all the sons and daughters of Adam seeking for happiness but few or none finding what they seek for all agree in the notion but they differ in the object People generally go for happiness to the worlds Trinity Scil. The lust of the flesh 1 John 2.16 Scil. The lust of the eyes 1 John 2.16 Scil. The pride of life 1 John 2.16 But alas Nihil dat quòd non bobâ—â— these have it not to give men would fain squeeze that out of the world which God never put into it As an evidence whereof it is highly observable that the wisdom of God who best knows the worth of things hath not in that Scripture 1 John 2.16 dignified these elements of the world with those innocent titles of their primitive institution pleasures riches honours but calls them by the odious names which the first apostacy and the habitual degeneracy of nature hath justly imposed the lust of the flesh instead of pleasures the lust of the eyes instead of riches and the pride of life instead of honours in which respect the Apostle denieth them their original from the Father and sends them to fetch their pedigree from a lower extraction nim from the world ver 16. And behold if these objects which contain in them the utmost latitude of all worldly excellency and that in their puris naturalibus were never ordained by the great and wise Creator for any higher service than of the inferiour part of man the sensitive part wherein he differs little from the beasts that porish now when by the malice of the Devil and the corruption of mans heart they are debauched and poysoned into so many snares and temptations how totally I say uncapable are they become of being an adequate blessedness for immortal souls Such of the sons and daughters of Adam as have had the candle of the Lord which was put out by the fall lighted anew by the Sun of Righteousness are mightily enabled by the irradiation of the Holy Ghost to discern the airiness and emptiness of all sublunary and elementary happiness and to make choice of more solid supercelestial excellencies for their summum bonum to sing with the sweet singer of Israel In thy presence is fulness of joy Psal 16. â—â— and at thy right hand there are pleasunes for evermore Moses in the Old Testament and Paul in the New stand as two pillars of fire to light men the way to true blessedness Moses was courted by all the honours pleasures and treasures of Egypt to espouse them as his ultimate and supreme beatitudes but he shakes them off all as once Paul the Viper into the fire not less full of poyson than that venomous beast was Acts 28. â—4 First Pride of life the honour and grandeur of Pharaâ—h's Court came to do him homage every one in the Kings Court for there he was brought up bowed the knee and saluted Moses by the Prince-like title of the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter which signified no less than Heir apparent to the Crown of Egypt Pharach having then no other Child but that only Daughter nor she but Moses whom she had adopted to be her Son from the Cradle of Bul rushes yet all this glory did Moses when he came to years able to make his own choice refuse by faith seeing what an hollow insignificant advancement this was iâ— was not the Egyptian Monarchy which could make Moses happy especially in the terms he must take it namely to turn Egyptian and forsake the society of Gods people no said Moses I 'le have none of it to suffer with Gods people here and to reign with God hereafter is a felicity infinitely to be preferr'd before all the Empires in the world This temptation failing next succeeded in the second place Pleasure called by the Apostle the lust of the flesh with her face painted her locks curled breasts naked and impudently sollicits Moses his embraces All the beauties of the Kings Court delicious fare ravishing musick beautiful gardens stately walks fruitful orchards pools of water princely sports and pastimes in a word all the delights of the sons of men the sensual fruitions of an
of us all Jesus Christ was the Center in whom the sins of all the Elect of God did meet and unite together to make Him as it were the common sinner For God made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him and under the insupportable burthen of our sin he swet and wept and bled and groaned and gave up the Ghost Behold Rom. 8.31 So God the Father Loved us that he spared not his own Son but delivered him up to the death for us all and shall we think much to give up the dearest Treasures of our blood in death to Him So much did God the Son love us that He died for love of us he died the first death that we might not die the second death he died for us that we might live with him And shall we count our lives or the lives of our dearest Relations too dear for him especially when no such advantage can accrue to the Lord Jesus by our death as did accrue to us by his death also in as much as neither we nor ours are in any capacity to reap the fruit and advantage of his death until we dye also and the sooner we dye the sooner shall we reap those fruits Behold God's First-borne was laid in the Sepulchre and shall we think God deals hardly with us if we follow our first-born to the Grave and leave them there till our Lord himself come to awaken them Especially since therefore Jesus died and was buried that he might sanctifie death to us by his death and by his being buried might perfume the Grave and make it a sweet Dormitory or bed of spices for his members to rest in until the Morning of the Resurrection Oh Christians Let us comfort our selves and one another with these words also Jesus dyed The fourth word is yet more Cordial A fourth word of Comfort and that is although Jesus dyed yet He rose again He died indeed but he rose again from the dead God suffered his dear Son to be laid in the Sepulchre but he did not leave him there nor suffer any taint of Corruption to seize upon his precious Body And to that end Christ made hast to rise again out of the Grave he rose the third day and that very early in the Morning saith the Text as soon as ever it could be called day The Alarm no sooner went off as it were but the Lord Jesus did lift up his Royal head and put on his Glorious Apparel and came forth out of his Grave as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber in State and Triumph And this was the Cordial which our Lord himself took before his passion Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell Psal 16.10 neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see Corruption Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth c. This was his Triumphant Song And it may be ours as well as his yea therefore ours because his whether in reference to our selves or to our gratious Relations For therefore was not Christ left in Hell i. e. in the state of the dead that he might lift up us also out of the pit and therefore his body saw i. e. sustained no corruption or putrefaction no not for the least particle of time that our mortal bodies might not inherit Rottenness and Oblivion in the dust for ever And indeed in this phrase in the Text Jesus arose again there be three things implied which interest every believer in this Triumph of Christs Resurrection c. Jesus rose again implieth three things First Power Secondly Right Thirdly Office First 1st Power 〈◊〉 Jesus Rose again it implieth Christs power Viz. That Jesus Christ rose by his own power It is not said Jesus was raised which might have spoken Him passive onely in his Resurrection but Jesus rose which speaketh Him active namely that he rose as a Conquerour by his own strength as Himself professeth I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again Joh 10.18 What power that was Rom. 1.4 will tell us declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead It is true it is elsewhere said that Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 And likewise that he was quickned by the Spirit Pet. 3.18 To shew that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost were excluded from a joynt share and concurrence in his Resurrection but here as elsewhere it is said also that Christ rose to shew that he was not merely passive in his Resurrection as the Children of the Resurrection are but that he rose also by the mighty power that was seated in his own Royal person The divine Nature in Christ to which the humane nature was personally united Alteram Christi naturam intelligamus nempe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbi incarnati potentiâ was that Spirit of Holiness by which the Lord Jesus did rise Triumphantly from the dead In the same language speaks another Apostle he was put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit i.e. by the Divine essence which was in Christ Death and the Grave had swallowed a morsel which they could not keep but as the Whale when it had swallowed Jonas in this the Type of Christ was forced to vomit him up again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being impossible Christ should be holden by death The power of the word incarnate loosed or dissolved the bonds of Death as a thread of Tow is broken when it is touched with the fire Yea Sampson-like herein also another type of his Jesus Christ did break in sunder the bars of the Grave and carried away the Gates of death upon his shoulders making a shew of them openly Thus Jesus rose again as a Conquerour by his own power and this is our Triumph and Rejoycing For surely He that thus raised up himself can raise up us also and will indeed raise us up by the same power Phil 3 21. whereby he is able to subdue even all things unto himself Secondly Jesus rose again it implieth his Office Second Office he rose as a Jesus a Saviour the Mediator of our peace who having finished the work he came about namely to satisfie divine Justice and to bring in everlasting Rightcousness so making peace by the blood of his Cross God the Father sent a publique Officer from Heaven to open the Prison doores Math. 28.2 an Angel to rool away the stone from the mouth of the Sepulchre thereby proclaiming to all the world that the debt was paid and that God had received full satisfaction for the sins of the Elect saying as it were Deliver him for I have received a Ransom This is another ground of our Triumph that Jesus rose that is he rose as our Jesus our Saviour and so by dying hath
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
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
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
scil Non implent plenum postulatum legis justitiae neque super impios neque super pios Streso in Act. 17.31 exemplary Vengance to shew there is a Providence that God is not an idle Spectator in the world And somtimes it is let alone to tell the world that there is a Judgment to come the full punishment of sin is not till then Thus Reason says He may Come But now Faith goes further and says He must Come He shall Come The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven It is a truth not only which God can make good but a truth which God cannot but make good Witness Christ must come 1. His Purchase says so 1. His Purchase would Christ buy a people at so dear a rate and then go away and come no more at them Nay 2. Witness also his promise And if I go John 14.3.2 His Promise I will come again He will especially considering the design of his leaving them for a time it was but to go and prepare a place for them and he hath done it the place is prepared Mansions in his Fathers house are made ready for them ver 2. Why now Christ being gon to this very end and all things prepared for their entertainment if he should not come again he should certainly fail not his promise only but his project too this cannot be He that never yet failed his own promise Fidelis Deus in Omnibus in extremo non desieret nor his peoples expectations will not now do it No I will come and receive you He that went from them only to prepare the place for them will certainly come again to receive them into that place now it is prepared He loves them so well that he will not he cannot be without their company I will come and receive you that where I am there you may be also Heb. 11.11 Faithful is he that hath promised who also will do it 3. Witness The Sacrament of his last Supper 3. The Sacrament of his last Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 which is nothing else but a pledg and seal to keep alive the memorial of his second Coming As oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Now when the Lord Jesus Christ hath engaged the expectation of his people by so solemn a Covenant if he should fail their expectation this Grand Institution had been in vain Nay surely He never said to the Seed of Jacob Seck ye my face in vain He speaketh Righteousness Isa 45.19 4. And lastly Witness his Resurrection that is 4. His Resurrection the Assurance given in the Text Act. 17.31 He will judge the world by that man whom he hath appointed How may we be sure of that why he hath given the world assurance of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non quod omnibus fidem in Christum dederit Sed quod omnibus argumentum dederit Streso in loc what assurance in that he hath raised Christ from the dead He hath given assurance Gr. he hath offered Faith the meaning is God could not have confirmed his purpose and promise of sending Christ to Judge the world at the last day by a more firm and solemn Argument than by raising him from the dead after he had paid the debt made satisfaction to divine Justice upon the Cross Partly in as much as Jesus Christ was hereby openly declared to be the Son of God with power To judg the world is an act of divine Power and Authority and what fitter person in the Trinity is there to judg the world righteously than He that was unrighteously judged by the world put to death in the Flesh but quickened in the Spirit raised by his own divine power Partly because that after his Resurrection God the Father took him up into Heaven Vid. Strev in loc and placed him at his own right hand A certain evidence that when the whole number of his Redeemed shall be accomplished he will send him the second time to take Vengeance in his own Person on the Shedders of his Blood and the Oppugners of his Gospel Else it had been all one as if Christ had been left to lye still in the Grave Thus you see Christ his personal Coming at the last day established upon its four-fold Foundation 1. Use His Purchase 2. His Promise 3. His Supper 4. His Resurrection Now therefore O ye Saints of God cast not away your Confidences either in respect of your selves or of your sweet Relations which have out-run you to the Sepulcher He that shall come will come and will not tarry In the mean time let the just live by their Faith keep up your Faith and your Faith will keep up your hearts from sinking 2 Cor. 4.16 for this Cause we faint not c. I proceed to the third Circumstance The manner of Christ his coming In the Description whereof we find a three-fold Summons or Citation to all the world to make their appearance at this great Oecumenical Assize 1 Summon◠A Shour sc 1. A Shout 2. The Voyce of an Arch-Angel 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hortatorius clamor The Trump of God The first solemn summons is a Shout the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a Shout The word in the Greek signifies such a Shout as is to be heard amongst Marriners and Seamen when after a long and dangerous Voyage they begin to descry the Haven crying with loud and united voyces a shore a shore as the Poet describes the Italians when they saw their Native Country lifting up their voyces and making the Heavens ring again with Italie Italie Italiam Laliam laeto clamore salutani Virg Aeneid Irgenti Angelorum jubile acclamatione Atetius Or as Armies when they joyn battail rend the air with their loud Acclamations In like manner shall the mighty Angels of God with united clamour proclaime the Advent of their Lord crying aloud with a voyce that shall be heard from one end of the Heavens to another the Earth and Sea and Hell it self shall hear and tremble Behold the Lord cometh Jud. v. 14. Jud. v. 14. Math. 25.5 Behold the Bridegroom cometh Math. 25. v. 6. The second Summons is the Voyce of the Arch-Angel Expositioric vice Calv. This clause some take to be Exegetical to the former expounding that hortatory clamour or shout mentioned before q. d. with a shout i. e. with the voyce of the Arch-Angel Arch-Angelus praeconts fungetur officio citet vivos mortues ad Christi tribunal Others conceive it to be added by way of eminency All the Angels shall shout for joy but the Voyce of the Arch-Angel shall be heard above all the rest The greatest Angel hath the greatest voyce lowder and shriller than all the other Angels as Captain General to them all The third Summons is the Trump of God Great Trees Trees of God High
shall be said to all Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire where the Worm never dyeth and the fire is not quenched into utter darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth there to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels for ever Now during all this tremendous transaction the Saints shall sit in judicature as Assessors or Justices of the Peace with Christ upon the Bench seeing and hearing all that is done by the Judg voting with him approving and applauding him in his judicial proceedings crying out with loud acclamations Thou art Righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus and other Saints shall eccho to them saying Even so Lord God Almighty true and Righteous are thy Judgments Thus the Saints shall judg the world Rev. 16.57 1 Cor. 6 2. yea they shall judg the Angels the Reprobate Angels but of this I have spoken more largely in the former part of this Treatise I come now to the Fifth end of the Saints meeting with Christ sc To receive their compleat and final Benediction Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world A blessed Sentence indeed every word in it is Heaven before the Saints come to Heaven Come my Love my Dove my undefiled One stand at no longer distance come and follow me whither I go I will that where I am there you may be also Ye Blessed Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Your Enemies on Earth accounted you the filth of the world 1 Cor. 4.13 and the off-scouring of all things Sathan hath desired to have you that you might be accursed with him for ever but ye are blessed and shall be blessed for ever Blessed of my Father Blessed in the eternal electing love of the Father Blessed in the Son's purchase you have washed your garments white in the blood of the Lamb Blessed by the Laver of Regeneration Tit. 3.5 and renewing of the Holy Ghost Inherit Ye are Children Heirs Heirs of God joynt-heirs with Christ behold I have adopted you to be follow-heirs with my self and the Father hath made you meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Oh come now and take possession of your Inheritance behold it is not less than a Kingdom for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luk. 12.32 the Kingdom of Heaven the Kingdom of Glory behold it is Prepared In the Father's decree God hath laid it out for you before the foundation of the world was laid and it is prepared by my purchase and by my taking possession of it long since in your Name Jo. 14.2 I went before to prepare a place for you For you whom I also prepared for it and for every one of you personally every one of you shall receive an intire Kingdome to your selves and you shall live and reign with me for ever and ever As Heaven hath been kept for you so you have been kept for it by the power of God through Faith to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Oh come now and take possession Behold This is the Saints full and final Benediction I should have spoke to this before I spake of the Sentence passed upon the Reprobate for in our Lord's method it doth precede Mat. 25.34 compared with ver 41. yet because Execution of the Sentence begins with the wicked and ends with the godly as ver 46. to the end that the Saints may behold with their eyes the Sentence Executed and seeing they may as God himself doth laugh at them saying Psal 52.7 Lo these are the men that made not God their strength but trusted in the abundâ—nce of their riches and strengthened themselves in their wickedness I have I say therefore chosen to speak of the Sentence of blessedness which the Judg shall pass upon the Saints in this place that from thence I might pass immediatly to the happy Execution thereof upon them nothing intervening as to the persons of Saints which is the Sixth and last end of the Saints meeting with Christ in the Air sc Their solemn and triumphant Attendance on the Judg The Sixth and last end of the Saints meeting with Christ is Their taking possession to take possession of the Kingdom This last judicial process being thus solemnly finished Sentence on both sides pronounced by the Judg the Reprobate already dragged away by the Executioners of divine Vengeance to the place of Execution where they shall be tormented with the Devil and his Angels for ever and ever immediatly the Bench will rise the Court shall be broken up that great Occumenical assembly shall be dissolved and forthwith the Judg shall ascend his Majestick Chariot waiting ready for him and all the Saints shall follow him in their Wedding-garments glittering as the Sun in his Meridian glory upon their several Chairs of State all the holy Angels of God attending round about them with their Ensigns of glory flying Trumpets sounding Angels singing the Saints themselve shouting all the Regions of the Air resounding with their Celestial harmony the like whereunto never entred the Ear of man from the day wherein God laid the foundations of the Heaven and Earth to this happy moment In this triumphant posture shall they march till they come to the walls of New Jerusalem where the Gates of pearl to whom it shall be proclaimed Lift up your heads oh ye Gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting Doors and the King of glory shall enter in shall stand wide open to receive them An entrance shall be administred unto them abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ through the Streets whereof which are of pure gold as it were transparent glass they shall ride in Triumph till they come to the Throne of his Majesty where the Ancient of days sitteth Dan. 7.9.13 whose garment is as white aâ— Snow and the hair of his head like pure wool his Throne is like the fiery flames and his wheels as burning fire c. Then shall the Son of God come to Him and taking his new Bride in his hand shall present her to his Father and bespeak him in some such language as this Rev. 7.16 Chap. 5.9 Chap. 12.11 These are they which come out of great Tribulation who have washed their Robes white in my blood These are they which have kept the word of my patience these are they that overcame by my blood and by the word of their Testimony John 17.6 Verse 12. Thou gavest them me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word while I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition that the Scriptures might be fulfilled I have given them thy word and the world hath
hated them because they were not of the world even as I was not of the world O Righteous Father for these I opened my mouth and for these I opened my sides and my heart for those was I mocked and scourged and blindfolded and buffetted and Crucified for these I wept and sweatt bled and died Father I will that they whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou hast loved me before the Foundation of the world c. Then shall the Father rise from his Throne and say unto them Come near unto me my Sons and my Daughters that I may kiss you See the smell of my Children is like the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Then shall he call for Crowns to put upon their heads bracelets upon their Arms Rings upon their fingers palms of Victory Scepters of Royalty into their hands appoint them their several Thrones the Mansions which their Lord went before to prepare for them upon which they shall be placed that they may sit and live reign with Christ their Heavenly Bridegroom for ever and ever everlasting joy shall be upon their heads all Tears shall be wiped from their eyes sorrow and mourning shall fice away And so shall they ever be MOVNT PISGAH OR THE THIRD PART OF THIS Model of Consolatory Arguments OVER THE Death of our Godly Relations I Come to the tenth and last word of comfort The Saints blessed cohabitation and fellowship with the Lord so shall we beever with the Lord. This consequent of Christ's coming is the perfection and crown of all the rest cohabitation and fellowship with the Lord together with the extent and duration of it Ever Now cohabitation containeth four glorious Priviledges viz. 1. Presence 2. Vision 3. Fruition 4. Conformity 1. 1 Priviledge The first Priviledge which cohabition implieth is presence The Saints after their triumphant reception by Christ into his glory shall ever be where he is The Scriptures abound with expressions of this nature appearing in Gods presence Psal 42.2 Col. 3.4 Luke 21. â—â— Psalm 15.1 Rev. 3.21 and 1.5 6 John 17.24 and 14.3 standing before him abiding in his tabernacle dwelling in his holy hill yea dwelling in him and he in us sitting upon his throne and following of him where-ever he goes if at least that Scripture be to be underderstood of Heaven a glorious priviledge certainly for it is the purchase of Christ's blood the fruit of his prayer and one of the great ends of his coming in person at the end of the world that his Saints may be where he is dwell in his family be as near him as â—ationally they can desire 1 Kings 10.8 even stand before him and enjoy â—â—terrupted cohabitation and fellowship with him If the Queen of Sheba accounted it the happiness of Solomon's Servants that they might stand continually before him and hear his wisdom how much rather may we proclaim them happy thrice happy whose feet may stand within the gates of the new Jerusalem for behold a greater than Solomon is here even he Psalm 16.11 of whom the Psalmist sings In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore A second Priviledge is Vision 2 Priviledge Vision The Saints shall not only be where Christ is 〈◊〉 but they shall enjoy the beatifical viston they shall see and beh'ld that which the seeing and beholding of will make them blessed for ever Now there are six beatifical Objects in Heaven 1. The seat and mansions of blessed Souls 2. The glorified Saints 3. The elect Angels 4. The glorified body of the Lord Jesus 5. God in the Divine essence 6. All things in God The first vision which the Saints shall see 1 Vision the seat of the blessed John 14.2 2 C◠〈…〉 Luke â—â— 4 2 Cor. 12.4 Rev. 2.7 is that which is called Sedes beatorum the seat or babitation of blessed souls the mansions of glory which our Lord hath purchased for his redeemed and which he went before to prepare for them the third Heavens the Palace of the great King A glorius place certainly for therefore it is called Paradise to set forth the beauty and pleasantness of the scituation that as the Paradise wherein God put man in his innocency was the beauty and delight of the whole neather world so Heaven the place which God hath prepared for man restored to perfection is the beauty and glory of all the upper Regions the top and perfection of the whole Creation Behold the outside of this stately Palace is very glorious beautified and adorned with all those bright and glittering Luminaries the Sun Moon and Stars what think you is the inside Consult that description which the Spirit of God hath made of it in the Revelations Chap. 21.18 19 20 21. the wall of jasper the City of pure gold the foundations of the wall of the City garnished with all manner of precious stones the twelve gates of twelve pearls every several gate of one entire pearl the street of the City of pure gold as it were transparent glass and you will surely say Heaven is a glorious place and yet behold this description of it is levelled to the low and childish capacity of our weak and fleshly senses as we judge of things in this imperfect state of mortality what think you then will the glory of the new Jerusalem appear when glorified sense shall be â—levated and raised up to a perfection sutable to its object Surely Heaven will as much exceed the description of it in glory as the bodies of the Saints in the Resurrection shall exceed in beauty these vile bodies of ours when they are resolved into dust and rottenness What shall I need say more Heaven is a place as beautiful and glorious as the wisdom and power of God could devise to make it that it might be the Royal Palace of his own Residence That august and magnificent fabrick which the proud Babylonian Tyrant stood tracking and boasting over Dan 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty was but a prison or hovel in comparison of this building of God 1 Cor. 5.1 that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens and those words are proper only for the mouth of God Is not this the new Jerusalem which I have built for the house of the Kingdom and for the glory of my Majesty What David spake of the Temple that little type of Heaven in decimo sexto The house that is for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory c. must be infinitely more august and magnificent in the antitype this the glorified Saints shall behold and it will beyond conception be marvellous in their eyes Secondly a
Vision the glorified Saints They shall see the glorified Saints in their souls as well as in their bodies all the elect of God that ever were in the world * In their souls as well 〈◊〉 in their bodies from Adam until the second coming of Jesus Christ and it will be a glorious sight to see the King and all his Peers and Nobles in their Parliament Robes with Crowns and Embellishments of honour fitting in their state and order is a â—ight which every one covets and crowds to see What will it be to see the King of Saints with all the Redeemed ones of God in their Robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb and Crowns of gold upon their heads and palms of victory and triumph in their hands a Parliament all of Kings and Priests every one of them shining forth as the Sun Mat. 13.63 in the Kingdom of their heavenly Father The Sun when it breaks forth out of a cloud and displayes its refulgent beams in full lustre and brightness what a glorious Creature is it and with what a beauty doth it guild and adorn the world Oh my soul what a sight will that be when I shall see an Heaven full of Suns scattering their rayes of glory through all those celestial Regions There is another Scripture which makes the glory of this Vision yet more splendid and radiant every one of the glorified bodies of the Saints shall be made conform to Christs own glorious body Phil. 3.21 the glory of the Father shines forth in the Son and the glory of the Son shall shine forth in the Saints He in his Fathers glory is even in his humane nature and they in his Surely the Luminaries of the first magnitude in the visible heavens the Sun and Moon will be turned into darkness before the glory of this Vision they shall shine as so many Christs in the Kingdom of their Father that will be a glorious Vision indeed Not to speak any thing of the several degrees and orbs of Saints orbs of several degrees of Grace and orbs of several degrees of offices and services in the Church Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors c. of which the Apostle gives us not an obscure hint 1 Cor. 15.41 As one star differeth from another in glory so also is the resurrection of the dead q. d. as the Luminaries of these visible heavens are of a different magnitude and brightness each above the other in their orbs and sphears so also is the Kingdom of glory there be different forms of Saints one excelling another in brightness and glory I say to pass by this in silence which yet certainly hath somewhat in it for the heightning of the beauty of this vision as we see in the Luminaries of this inferiour world their different orbs and magnitudes contribute not a little to the beauty and ornament of these visible heavens We may add this before we go off viz. That the communion and converse with the Saints in heaven will be as sweet to the tast as the vision of them will be glittering to the eye there will be heaven in both Behold their fellowship and converse here was so sweet that David could say All my delight is in the Saints that are in the earth Psalm 16.3 and in the excellent ones David could take no pleasure in the company of any in the world but only in Gods holy Ones who were beautified with his Image Oh what will their communion and fellowship think you be in heaven when they shall be totally divested of all their sinful corruptions their ignorance their pride their passion their peevishniss their tenaciousness their impurity their envy their impatience their câ—nsoriousness their unseriousness their infincerity and their unsavouriness whereby they are apt to offend and hurt one another Yea when they shall have put off their natural infirmities as well as their sinful their impertinencies their mistakes their weaknesses their indispositions their hunger and thirst their drowsiness their vanity their mutability whereby they are not more unlike to other men than to themselves sometimes their diversions and reservedness c. whereby they are less able to do one another good What will their converse be when they shall put off all their defects and all their imperfections When there shall be no dissent amongst them much less dissention but when they shall all speak the same thing and there shall be no division but they shall be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment which the Apostle commends so passionately even to the Saints on this side Heaven 1 Cor. 1.10 When there shall be such a perfect harmony amongst the Saints as if there were but one soul to act that whole Assembly of the first-born When there will be nothing in them to converse with but pure grace grace without mixture grace and nothing else but grace Yea not pure grace only but perfect grace when every grace shall be in its perfect state and have its perfect works when every grace shall act to the highest degree yea when there will be â—o use of those inferiour graces which are but for the way as patience repentance simpathy pity fear hope yea none of the highest of all the graces hath faith it self now abideth faith hope now is in this imperfect state faith it self belongeth unto the imperfect state but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away when sight is come then faith shall cease and the Saints shall converse one with another only in their superiour graces their marriage-graces their glorious graces that are proper to their adult state love joy delight in God mutual complacency zeal obedience praising God thankfulness when they shall love God as much as they would love him yea as much as God would be beloved and obey God as much as God would be obeyed and praise God as much as God would be praised c. Oh when the Saints are cast into such an heavenly mold yea and we our selves are capable of such pure converse for here in this imperfect state the Saints of God are not alwayes in the same frame one with another or with themselves whâ—n one Saint is up the other is down like an Instrument out of tune jarring and disharmonious when one is alive the other dead when this is hot the other is cold when one is ready to give the other is not fit to receive the communications of grace But oh when now I say all the Instruments of Glory are alike strung and equally tuned in their several capacities what sweet ravishing harmony what heavenly musick will they make Oh might we but see such a Saint on earth as one of these are how would every one be ready to kiss his lips yea to kiss his very feet and hardly forbear even to worship him Acts 10.25 Rev. 22.9 as Cornelius would have worshipped Peter or as John
Eph. 3.10 Lectures read in the Assemblies of the Saints for some insight into the mystery of Christ in the Gospel Oh how ready and able will they be to pay their debts with an abundant interest out of the immense volumes of knowledge which they have treasured up The Communications of their love their holiness their zeal their heavenliness c. what united flames will they make when they be joyned in communion and converse with the graces and perfections of the Saints Object If it be objected Is there not enough in God to fill the Saints to the vastest capacity What need then of Star-light when the Sun shines Yea may not the Saints conversing with Angels and one another be thought to be a diversion from the supreme object of light and love Sol. To this I answer No and the reason is because all the perfections and excellencies which are in the Creature are as so many beams and emanations leading the eye of the beholder to the Sun it self the body and fountain from which they do spring August saith we shall see God in his Saints and their glorious actings as well and as manifestly as now we see mens bodies in the vital actions of their bodies De Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 29. or as learned and holy mens Commentaries and Expositions are to the holy Scripture which do neither detract from nor add to that immense volume of truth but serve only to illustrate it and to render it more intelligible to the dark and imperfect understanding of the Creature Surely such an infinite full Text as God is will stand in need of some marginal notes as it were To see God in his Saints and the Saints in God this will be no diminution of the bentifical Vision All the excellencieâ— in the Creature are but drops from God the Fountain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The glorious Angels and Saints are alwayes sunning themselves in the presence of â—od and will keep company together to all Eternity A fourth Object The glorified body of the Son of God to help the Reader as Christ is said in the dayes of his flesh to be the Exegesis or Interpreter of the Father unto us John 1.18 So may the Angels be to the Saints in Heaven and such is all the glory of Heaven yea so is the humane nature of Christ himself now in glory the great Expositor of the Divine Essence a Mirrour or Glass wherein we come to see God more clearly and fully Which brings me to A fourth Object of the beatifical Vision and that is Christ himself or the glorified humane nature of the Lord Jesus Christ in his humane nature exalted to the right hand of his Father the highest seat in glory far above all principality and power Eph. 1.21 and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come This is the highest beatifical object in Heaven next to the divine Essence the sight of Christ as man it was the great design which the Lord Jesus had in redeeming them with his blood â—â—â—n 17.24 Father I will that they whom thou host given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me And sâ—rely this will be a glorious sight indeed behold of the glory of Christ in his transfiguration it is said That his face did shine as the Sun and his rayment was white as the light If the glory of his transfiguration was so excellent what will the glory be of his exaltation If the glory of his foot-stoul was so excellent how will the glory of his throne excel in glory If he appeared so bright upon an carthly Mountain how transplendent will he appear upon Mount Sion the Mountain of God that heavenly Mountain If such were his lustre in his state of humiliation before passion what beams of Majesty will shine from his face in his state of glorification when he is to receive the reward of his passion Behold there appeared then with him only Moses and Elias what will his glory be when all the Patriarchs and Prophets all the Apostles and Martyrs the whole Society of the Saints with the whole host of the mighty Angels that begirt his Throne with their hallelujahs and joyful acclamations Mark 9.6 That vision of Christ on earth did fill Peter and the Disciples with wonder and astonishment even to an extasie so that the Text tells us He knew not what he said Oh with what joy and ravishment shall the sight of Christ in glory fill the glorified Saints when their faculties shall be so raised that they shall understand what they see and profess what they unstand Surely Peter and all his fellow Saints will then say and know what they say Lord it is good for us to be here What a beautiful beatifying Object this will be Considerations evidencing the glory of Christs humane nature 1 Considerat The reward of his Passion we may guess for more we cannot by these three Considerations The first Consideration is this The glory of the humane nature of Jesus Christ in Heaven is the reward of his Passion here on earth In respect of the divine nature and as Jesus Christ was the second Person in Trinity the glory which the Lord Jesus now possesseth at his Fathers right hand was the glory which he had with the Father from before the foundation of the world John 17.24 but as to the assumption of the humane nature it was glory given him by the Father Christ had a twofold right to the Kingnom of glory sc natural and constitutive natural as he was the only begotten Son of God and so of the same nature and essence with the Father from all eternity and so whatever power and glory was essentially the Fathers was essentially the Sons also But then besides that Heb. 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tuit Jesus Christ had also a constitutive right or a right by donation as he was appointed and made heir of all things now this constitutive glory as I say was the fruit and reward of his sufferings Phil. 2.7 8 9 Because he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross Therefore hath God highly exalted him and given him a name above all names c. Because and Therefore the exaltation of his humane nature was the merit and compensation of his humiliation and abasement Now then if we would make an estimate of the glory of Christ now at his Fathers right hand we cannot find out a more proper medium than to make a serious and if it were possible a thorow search and enquiry into his abasement and humiliation And certainly if there had been nothing else in it but his incarnation or the assumption of our flesh it had been an infinite abasement to the Son of God so deep an abasement as it had been blasphemy for men or Angels to
which shall fill the memory and the remembrance of them comparing the type with the antitype if I may so say things past with things present will fill the Soul with admiration and delight If any thing of evil do occur whether of sin affliction as soon as ever it enters within that glorious firmament it loseth the nature of evil and is naturalized into matter of rejoycing and thankfulness In a word the entire Image of God Eph. 5.1 It was their duty in the state of grace it shall be their infinite dignity in the state of glory which was imprinted upon the Soul in the first Creation and reprinted upon it though in an imperfect character in the new Creation shall now be perfected to the life in the Regeneration the Saints shall be as like God as ever they can look as like God as ever Children were like their Father so that there will be nothing but looking and liking the one upon the other Prevent that holy gaze now oh ye children of the most high God be often taken up in the beholding and contemplation of the face of your heavenly Father behold will it not Quicken you to duty Comfort you in your droopings Cause you to overlook the contempt of the world with an holy pride And even be the dawnings of glory upon your faces whereby some line and lineaments of beauty shall be added daily to that blessed draught begun already against that day Once more before we go off from this pleasing contemplation add we The very bodies of the Saints shall share in this blessed conformity as well as the soul It had its degree in the first Paradise man had a kind of resemblance to God in the very make of his body The bodies of the Saints Os homini sublims dâ—dit caelumque tueri jussit c. beautiful upright active no such visible picture of God in Heaven or Earth as man was not Sun Moon or Stars not Earth and Sea or the visible Heavens themselves have so much of their Maker in them as the body of man his very corporeal sences had much of God in them they were Vestigia Dei though not Imago one might easily have known who was their Father But now in glory saith the Apostle Our vile body shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 The glorified body of Christ next to the divine essence to which it is hypostatically united shall be the glory and the wonder of Heaven and our body saith the Apostle shall be like his conformable unto his glorious body What a mirrour of glory will the Saints be in their souls conform'd to the divine nature and their body conform'd to the glory of the humane nature of Jesus Christ the Lord of glory Oh wonderful astonishing transfiguration Well said the Apostle It doth not yet appear what we shall be surely eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither can it enter into the heart of man c. This will be an infinite compensation to the Saints of God for all their holy endeavours of being like to God that as obedient Children they have been followers of their heavenly Father Eph. 5.1 and for all the reproaches and abasements they susteined from a reprobate world because of those endeavours The earth was not able to bear the hard speeches wherewith the enemies of God have reproached the footsteps of Gods anointed ones labouring to insist in the steps of their heavenly Father willing to be Nonconformists to the will and lusts of men and striving to be conformable to the will and pattern of their holy King and Law giver the Lord Jesus the King of Saints Now I say it shall be no shame nor grief of heart unto them when they shall reap the fruit of their weak and imperfect conformity on earth in the most full and perfect consummation of that conformity in heaven when behold whatsoever is glorious and wonderful in the person of their glorious Redeemer or in the thrice glorious and blessed Trinity the very print and Character of it shall be stampt upon the glorified Saints in their created capacities causing them to appear not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as so many Angels but even to resemble God himself and to shine as so many Christs in the Kingdom of their heavenly Father and they that laughed them to scorn shall see it and their faces being filled with shame their consciences with horrour and their hearts with envy they shall now revile and curse themselves howling out Wisd 5.4 We fools accounted their lives madness c. Oh how much better are the reproaches of Christ than all the grandieur and applause in the world Be of good chear all ye Servants of God the time is coming when you shall not repent of your conformity to God and Christ in holiness but shall ever sing I thank the Lord who gave me counsel and taught me to chuse the better part which shall never be taken away from me I come now to the Complement and perfection of this last fruit and consequent of Christ his coming the Saints cohabitation and fellowship with the Lord namely The extent and duration of it in this particle ever We shall ever be with the Lord. The extent and duration ever Ever a little word but of immense signification a Child may speak it It was a witty reply of a Grandchild of Doctor Reynolds now Bishop of Norwich He asking the Child How long Eternity is The Child answered If you will tell me how long half eternity is I will tell you how long whole eternity is but neither Man nor Angel can understand it Oh who can take the demensions of eternity Yea who can tell me how long half eternity is Behold I shew you a Mystery half eternity is eternity yea every part and particle of eternity is eternity for eternity is not made up of hours or dayes or years or lustrums or jubiles or ages or millions of Ages the whole space between the creation of the world and the dissolution of it would not make a day in eternity yea so many years as there be dayes in that space would not fill up an hour in eternity Eternity is one entire Circle beginning and ending in it self This present world which is measured out by such divisions and distinctions of times is therefore mortal and will have end 2 Cor. 4.18 If eternity did consist of finite times though never so large and vast it would not be eternity but a longer tract of time only that which is made up of finite is finite Eternity is but one immense indivisible point wherein there is neither first nor last Deus est octus simplicissimus ex quo omnia sâ—nt in â—uem omnio redeuâ— beginning nor ending succession or alteration but is like God himself one and the same for ever From hence we infer this Doctrine The blessedness of the Saints in Heaven is everlasting Their
an abortion if man should out-live his heavenly Paradise as he did the earthly though his lease should be made for never so many lives this would but aggravate the vanity of his creation and we must needs approve of Solomon's choice Wherefore I praised the dead more than the living Eccles 4.2 3. yea better is he than both they which hath not yet been Surely such an improvidence is totally inconsistent with that immense understanding whose most just tile is The only wise God This then is the first account of this ever here in my Text Gods wisdom Another Attribute upon which this beatifical Truth standeth is 2. Attribute The Truth of God The veracity and truth of God the future estate both of the reprobate and of the elect is every where in Scripture held out to us with a note of eternity That of the reprobate Eternal judgment Heb. 6. everlasting sire Mat. 18.8 and 25.41 Eternal fire Jude 7. unquenchable fire Matth. 3.12 Luke 3.17 fire that is not to be quenched ver 44. fire that never shall be quenched ver 43. after never so many years and ages of continuance it is still wrath to come everlasting darkness Jude 6. It seems though there be fire enough in hell there is no light in that fire even those flames are darkness and that darkness everlasting fire for heat but not for light whatever is afflictive within hell nothing that's refreshive that 's dreadful The worm that shall never dye Everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.9 And as that of the reprobate is so This of the elect is exprest under the like notions not a moment short of eternity the Father of Glory who best knew what he had begotten baptizeth it with that name Eternal glory 2 Tim. 2.10 1 Pet. 5.10 Everlasting life fourteen times so called in the new Testament and once in the old Dan. 12.2 Eternal life thirty times so called by the Evangelists and Apostles Everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.11 Enduring substance Heb. 10.34 An incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9.25 Pleasures for evermore Psal 16. ult A Kingdom that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not fluctuating or floating up and down as all sublunary Kingdome and glory cannot be moved Heb. 12.18 An eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Heaven is a weight of glory both the Hebrew and Chaldee words signifie both weight and glory Heaven is made all of massy glory glory that would be too heavy even for the shoulders of glorified Saints were not underneath them the everlasting arms But as God puts forth omnipotence to cause the damned to subsist under their otherwise intollerable pains for the glory of divine justice so in Heaven he is pleased to exert the arm of his almighty power to sustain the Saints under their unconceiveable weight of glory for the more illustrious manifestation of his everlasting love But this is not all as there is a weight of glory to make heaven as big as the Saints can joyfully bear so that weight must also be eternal that so the glory may not be too short for them but every way commensurate to all the dimensions of their souls This this is the witness and testimony which God himself hath given to the Saints inheritance in light and to shew the infallibility of this testimony the Apostle gives that glorious character of God Titus 1.2 God that cannot lye and that in the very same Scripture wherein he makes this glorious promise Eternal life which God that cannot lye hath promised before the world began Observe it as if the Apostle by the Spirit did foresee what atheisme might object or weakness of faith might call in question viz. the eternity of heaven How can that be Oh yes saith the Apostle it must needs be so God who cannot lye hath called it eternal life cannot he saith not will not but cannot lye whereas it might be objected why the least Child in the world can lye I but saith the Apostle God cannot lye Hoc solum omnipotens om nipotenter non potest Aug. it is against his essence It is omnipotence in God that he cannot lye as Augustine speaks if he could lye he were not almighty whoever calls the eternity of the Saints rest in question at the same time calls in question Gods omnipotence as well as his truth his being as well as his bounty If heaven were but a moment shorter than the measure which the Scripture giveth us the Apostle had ascribed to God a mistaken title God that cannot lye upon such a testimony as this from the mouth of God how securely may the Saints lye down in their beds of dust in confidence of enjoying an eternal rest after the Resurrection A third Attribute which mightily contributes assurance to the faith of heavens eternity A third Attriâ—ute is Immutability is Gods Immutability The unchangeableness of his counsel and purpose will set the ever of the Saints vision and fruition of God beyond all dispute and hesitation It was the very design and purpose of God upon the Saints in their regeneration and renewing by the Holy Ghost which he shed upon them abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace they should be made heirs of eternal life Did God manifest his eternal purpose to the world of eternal life and make such solemn provision for the carrying on that purpose upon the heirs of promise by interesting the third Person in the glorious Trinity the Holy Ghost in it and after all this can Heaven become but a peradventure and the Saints everlasting communion with God prove a Scepticisin or ungrounded opinion only Nay Tit. 3.8 saith the Apostle in the very next verse This is a faithful saying i. e. a man may venture his soul upon it and these things I will that thou affirm constantly i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assert as a matter of greatest assurance of which there is no doubt scil this grand principle The eternity of the Saints blessedness that we should be made heirs of eternal life and that to this end that believers may be careful to maintain good works leave Christians at an uncertainty of an everlasting reward and farewell good works men will act arbitrarily where they work doubtfully Nay but tell them The foundation of the Lord stands sure his counsels and purposes are unchangeable with him is no variableness Jam. 1.17 neither shadow of turning fix their faith upon this bottom that Gods purpose of eternal life is as immutable as God himself this will set them on work to purpose in the use of all such means as tend to so glorious an end Did God from eternity purpose salvation to the elect to eternity A soul set beyond all suspition of the accomplishment of this blessed promise will be careful to maintain good works so the Apostle follows it home 1 Cor. 15. ult Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the