Incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Who are kept by the power of God through Faith and Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time So that beloved if you be kept for Heaven and made meete for Heaven that is a demonstration that Heaven is prepared for you I now come to the second Quere which is this I but how can this Scripture say that by Christs Ascention Heaven is prepared for us when other Scriptures say that heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the World Mat. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World Now if a Kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning of the World how doth this Scripture appropriate a preparing of the Kingdome of Heaven but from the Ascension of Christ Divines doe answer That you must distinguish between the decrees of God and betweene the cleare manifestation and full execution of those decrees Now if you respect the decrees of God then the Scripture is true that the Kingdome of heaven is prepared from the beginning of the World for the decree and purpose of God was before the World was that the Elect should have Heaven as an Inheritance but if you expect the cleare manifestation of it then it was not till Jesus Christ Ascended and this distinction the Scripture allows of it especially of the poynt of Justification in this poynt the Scripture doth cleare this distinction Heb. 9.8 The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing The meaning is this that the way to Heaven it was not manifest to the Jewes whilst their Tabernacle stood that is whilst their Leviticall Ceremonies were in use the way to Heaven was not manifest the godly went to Heaven before Christs time but it was not manifested for the common sort of the Jewes did not understand that by Jesus Christs Passion and Ascension they must come to Heaven therefore the Apostle saith the way to the holiest of all was not yet manifested whilst their first Tabernacle stood So my Text is true that Heaven was prepared for Believers by the Lord Jesus Christ by his Ascension The third Quere is this I but you will say if Christ by his Ascension into Heaven did prepare Heaven for Believers then what became of all the people of God and holy men of God under the old Testament Whither went they that if this bee true that Christ did prepare Heaven by his Ascension The Jesuites raise this difficulty from this Text. They say that before Christ Ascended none did goe to Heaven therefore they make Abraham Isaac and Jacob all the Patriarks and all the holy men of God they make them to be in the place called Limbus Patrum which was for the good men till Christs Ascension Then there is Limbus Infantum a place of receipt of Infants Then there is Purgatory for men guilty of grosse sins Heaven and Hell they concurre in to be a truth Limbus Patrum say they was the place to receive all the good men till Christs Ascension and then Christ tooke them all into Heaven Protestant Divines doe take a great deale of paines to vindicate this Text. If you will aske mee what is become of the Patriarks and all the good men of old before Christs going into Heaven how can they come to Heaven if Heaven be prepared by Christs Ascension First I may say that of Christs Ascension as Gerrard doth of Christs Passion The Death of Christ it was availeable before it was in being so I may say of Christs Ascension that Christs Ascension was availeable before it was in being Gerrard hee hath another passage that the benefits wee have by Christ they are not onely to be restrained to ages that are to come after Christ but to looke backward to all ages before Christ Revel 5.9 And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Not only the Lambe slaine decretively in Gods Decree not onely the Lambe slaine Typically in the ceremoniall Sacrifices but virtually that there was vertue in Jesus Christ that all the godly Jewes had vertue by CHRISTS Death there is my first Answer Secondly observe this That the Scripture doth not say that Christ by going up to heaven did open heaven for us but onely to prepare heaven for us hee being our Mediator sitting at Gods right Hand in Heaven Heaven was open before but not so fully adorned as it was by Christs Ascension Heb. 9.8 The holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing The Grecians doe observe that Christ doth not use a word that signifies to open a thing that is shut but to open cleare and manifest a thing that is obscure it was open before Thirdly there are against the Jesuits conceit of Limbus Patrum that there are cleare passages in the Scripture and undenyable reasons drawn from the Scripture that doth prove Believers under the old Testament went to Heaven before CHRISTS Ascension As in Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the Beggar dyed and was carried by the Angells into Abrahams Bosome the Rich man also dyed and was buried Hee lived two thousand years and more before Christ was borne heaven is called Abrahams Bosome and the Elect that dyed are said to goe into Abrahams Bosome and Eliah and Enoch are in Heaven perfectly Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that hee should not see death and was not found because God had translated him And in Heb. 11. there the bodies of the Patriarks are reckoned up together in the 16 verse But now they desire a better Countrey that is Heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for hee hath prepared for them a City He is not ashamed to be their God therefore they have a City prepared for them by God that likewise if it be a History or a Parable Lazarus was said to be carried by Angels into Abrahams Bosome this was before Christ dyed then frequent Scriptures there are touching Christs transfiguration that when Christ was taken up that hee saw Moses and Elias from thence Divines gather that they must be in Heaven There are foure undeniable Reasons that will prove that the godly before Christs Ascension they went to Heaven First it appeares by this because it is said that those that were carried to heaven they were carried to heaven by the Angels the Angels carried Lazarus into Abrahams Bosome now certainly Angels are not in Limbus Patrum Luke 16.22 Againe if the Believers of old should not go into
mention it for this to shew the vanity of our age of those who will undertake to shew the very day when Christ should come Likewise to condemne the former Ages who run to things not revealed I remember what a learned Man saith one that commenteth upon my Text saith hee There is nothing that doth expose the Christian Religion to more contempt then that the Preacher of it or the hearers of it will run into nice Questions and be peremptory in their resolves of that the Scripture speaks not of And Jewes and Gentiles may sufpect the whole Gospell because they see Men so peremptory about things which are not revealed in the Gospell and shall see their false-hood appearing to all be not peremptory in your determinations about the time of Christs coming nor about the place where for neither is revealed in Scripture Christ did deny his Disciples when they asked him where hee should come Luke 17.37 And they answered and said where Lord And hee said unto them where the body is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Christ told them of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the end of the World then said the Disciples but where Lord wilt thou come Christ onely gives them this answer that where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles flee that is where Christ is all the Elect shall bee gathered as Birds of prey flock together after a carcasse to feed upon so that Christ would neither tell the place where nor the time when and this should be a check and a controule to mens curious pryings about that which the Scripture is silent in Lastly take heed of bold and adventurous attempts of the manner of Christs coming to judge the World many are very peremptory about it and there be strange Bookes at least in their owne expressions that they can descry the very manner of his coming that CHRIST shall come from Heaven and dwell a thousand yeares upon the Earth and the Dead shall rise and live in the World but these are such things which the Scripture doth neere take notice of I am to handle on this pâ—omise of Christ but I come againe A perplexed Quere which is this whether Christ Jesus in promising to his Disciples to come again whether that promise of Christ coming againe be to Reigne upon the Earth here a thousand yeares or whether it be to be meant of Christs last coming to judge the World this Scripture and others are made use of and brought to prove that Christ shall come from Heaven and in person and live upon the Earth for a whole thousand yeares they fancy that Jesus Christ when hee shall come on this personall Reigne then hee shall raise all the Martyrs that have lost their Lives in his Cause and the Divell shall be bound up that hee shall tempt Men to sinne no more and wicked Men shall bee ty'd up that they shall not persecute the Church of God this is an Antient Opinion and almost since the Apostles dayes Before I shall come to give you my thoughts from the words touching Christs coming as they pretend to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth I shall shew you the rise of this Opinion First from Eusebius and other they give us this to be the rise of this Opinion from Cyrenthus which had it who lived in the time of John This Cyrenthus who was a pestilent Heretick in those times who held that Christ was borne by the Conjunction of a Man and a Woman and not borne by a Virgin and was borne as others are and so must be a sinner Hee was the Man that was the first authour from whom this Opinion had any life and being Patrius seemed to maintaine this and divers others were ensnared with this conceite and Beloved there was some spice of this in the Apostles for they did dreame of a Temporall Kingdome Therefore they askt Christ when hee was going to Heaven Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel there was in the times of the Apostle a fancy that Christ must be an Earthly Monarch and destroy all the Kings of the Earth and all the Enemies of the World and must come here to Rule and Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth it was brought over in Transilvania and Italy in Germany and there was taken hold on by John of Leydon and in Westphalia and handed over to us in England by men of late Now for the confutation First I shall quote expresse Scriptures that Christ shall not come in person out of Heaven till his last coming to judge the World Secondly I shall give you some reasons from the Scripture why Christ cannot come out of Heaven Bodily and in Person to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth Thirdly I shall shew you some absurdities and incredulities that would follow if Christ should come to Reigne a thousand years upon the Earth First for expresse Scriptures which are foure The first Scripture is in Acts 3.21 Whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World began There the Apostle telleth you directly that the Heaven must receive and keepe Jesus Christ how long till the restitution of all things The Milleners hold that the restitution of all things may be at the time of Christs Personall Reigne but I shall shew you that this restitution of all things cannot be till Christs judging the world First there cannot be a totall abolition of sinne in the World at the thousand yeares end there shall be a number of men and wicked during the thousand yeares all things cannot be restored for sinne bringeth the creature under a curse it is apparent that it cannot be till Christs last coming to judge the world because other Scriptures tell you that the time of restitution cannot be till our bodies be raised from the Dead Rom. 8.23 And not onely they but our selves also which have the first fruites of the spirit even wee our selves groane within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our bady That is the creatures do as it were groane being used by man as an instrument to Gods dishonour so that till the bodies of all the Elect be redeemed and glorified till that time the creature lies under a curse by reason of Mans sinnes and Mans abuse And they themselves hold that pleade for Christs personall reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth though they doe hold that the Martyrs shall be raised at that time but doe not hold that all the Elect shall be raised at that time therefore the Apostle saith expresly that the Heavens must keepe the person of Christ till the restitution of all things till the bodies of the Elect come to be raised from the Dead Againe it is apparent from the Context in Acts 3. That the restitution of all things can intend no other time then the time of Christs coming to
a worse condition then hee found it if Christ must come on the Earth hee must leave his Church in a worse condition then hee found it and I draw it from that Text which they pretend to be the strength of their Argument Revel 20.5.7.8 But the rest of the Dead lived not againe untill the thousand yeares were finished This is the first Resurrection And when the thousand yeares are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison And shall goe out to deceive the Nations which are in the foure quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to Battell the number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea So that after the thousand yeares the Devill shall be let loose againe and there shall be an innumerable company of enemies and they shall destroy multitudes of the godly Therefore Christ would leave his Church in a worse condition then hee found them if this were true that Christ should reigne a thousand years upon the Earth Fifthly if Christ should come to reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth then this incongruity will follow that there must be three personall comings of Jesus Christ for his first coming was in the Incarnation Second coming to these thousand yeares And his third coming must be to judge the World that is the last coming but the Scripture makes but two comings of Christ First his coming from Heaven when hee was borne his second coming when hee comes to judge the World againe Sixtly if Christ comes personally out of Heaven this incongruity will follow that either the Saints and Angells must come or not come with Christ if they must come with Christ then it is a losse to them for them to come to leave the imediate presence of God and come upon the Earth where wicked men shall be amongst them or if they must not come with Jesus Christ yet it is a lose to them to remaine there they shall lose for a thousand yeares the Body of Christ if Christ be on the Earth hee cannot be in Heaven the same time Therefore it would be a losse to the Saints and Angells for them to be a thousand yeares in Heaven without the company of Jesus Christ not to have the person of Jesus Christ with them A seventh Incongruity will follow that if Christ shall come to reigne upon the Earth then Christs Kingdom must be a worldly terrene Kingdome then it will be against the Word of God he must be a visible King to the Jewes and a visible King to all the World besides this would follow then that Christs Kingdome must not be a spirituall Kingdome but a Terrene a Worldly pompous Kingdome Iohn 18.36 Jesus answered My Kingdome is not of this World if my Kingdome were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jewes but now is my Kingdome not from hence Luke 17.20 And when hee was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdome of God should come hee answered them and said The Kingdome of God cometh not with Observation Would not all the World observe this for Christ to come bodily from Heaven and in the Majesty of a Monarch Now Christs Kingdome doth not come with Observation When the Disciples looked after an Earthly Kingdome No saith Christ my Kingdome is for to Rule and Reigne in your hearts you shall never see mee for to be an outward pompous King in the World for Christs Kingdome it is a spirituall Kingdome Eightly that if Jesus Christ shall come to take a Kingdome on the Earth for a thousand yeares then this Incongruity will follow As if Jesus Christ had not a Kingdome and were not a King all this while hee is in Heaven they apply that that place in Daniel and all those Phrases in the new Testament that the Kingdome of the World is become the Kingdome of the Lord they deny that Christ is a King in Heaven When hee was in the Cratch and borne in the Stable hee was a King at that very houre Psalme 2. The Apostle referres it to Christs Birth and Christs Resurrection Christ when hee arose from the Dead hee was a King then and the Gospell under Christs time is called a Kingdome It is remarkeable in John 18.37 Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a King then Jesus answered Thou sayest that I am a King Christ was a King though hee would not be an Earthly King to destroy Earthly Governments Therefore when the people in a tumult would have made him a King yet hee would not Zech. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee hee is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the fole of an Asse Hee was a King when hee was on that slow contemptible creature so that now to say Christ shall come to reigne as King it is to intimate to the World as if Christ were not a King at this day and whereas hee is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in heaven therefore cannot come a thousand yeares to reigne on the Earth Now I will deale fairely to shew you what strength and give you the strongest Scriptures that have most shew of reason for the maintaining of this Opinion and shall labour to take them off and cleare it to you There are multitudes of quotations that varieties of mens thoughs fasten upon to prove this poynt yet those they most stand to I shall fasten upon their chiefe Pillar is in Revel 20.2 4 5 6. And hee laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divell and Satan and bound him a thousand yeares And I saw thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them and I saw the Soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeares But the rest of the dead lived not againe untill the thousand yeares were finished This is the first Resurrection Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reigne with him a thousand yeares Now from this Text which is the chiefest in the Scripture they seeme to build these two things upon First That Jesus Christ shall live upon the Earth and the Saints reigne with him for a thousand yeares Secondly Those that were Martyrs by Antichrist shall rise from the dead and come upon the Earth these thousand yeares to continue with Iesus Christ This they build much upon That Christ shall come to reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth But I shall shew you that this cannot be the sense of it and I shall give you Six Answers First that though the Scripture
change in Providence therefore where is the promise of Christs coming They scoffed at Christ that Christ was a contemptible man in this World and that God should judge the World by Christ this is the Answer in the 7 vers But the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and Perdition of ungodly Men. Peter speakes directly that the time of Christs coming and they scoffed at it was not the time of the thousand yeares but of the Time of the day of Judgement Therefore this coming here that Peter speakes of it cannot be meant of a thousand yeares before the day of Judgement Secondly the day of Perdition of ungodly men they say themselves that Christ doth suffer the wicked of the World to live in the World though not to rule as they have Thirdly observe that it is said here that before this new Earth is that the World it shall be burnt with Fire the Heavens shall passe away with a noyse c. So that now before a thousand yeares there is no such thing as before the day of Judgement the World cannot be as in the fore going Verse The burning of the World it is reserved against that day against the day of Judgement Therefore the coming cannot be referred to Christs Personall coming on the Earth to reigne a thousand yeares Fourthly it is said here that Christ shall come as a Thiefe But the day of the Lord will come as a Thiefe in the Night in the which tht Heavens shall passe away with a great noyse c. That Epithet it is referred to his coming to judge the World to his last coming and not to any other coming 1 Thess 5.2 For your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a Thiefe in the Night But if Christ should come to reigne upon the Earth then hee cometh visible Mat. 43.44 But know this that if the good Man of the house had knowne in what watch the Thiefe would come he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up Therefore be yee also ready for in such an houre as you thinke not the Sonne of Man cometh Revel 16.15 Behold I come as a Thiefe Blessed is hee that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest hee walke naked and they see his shame Fifthly and this Divines stand much upon Wee according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwells righteousnesse That the dwellings of righteousnesse here it doth not referre that such a thing shall be on the new Earth but the dwelling of righteousnesse referres to righteousnesse here it doth not referre that such a thing shall be on the new Earth but the dwelling of righteousnesse referres to righteous men not to Heaven or Earth the Greeke word cleares it plainely it is a word in the Plurall Number Therefore it is not referred to the Earth which is in the Singular Number Therefore Divines say from the Originall 2 Peter 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We in whom dwells righteousnesse looke for a new Heaven and a new Earth So that the dwelling of righteousnesse it is not referred as if there should be men on Earth but that righteousnesse should dwell in men wee reade of none being on the Earth wherein dwells righteousnesse ousnesse Thus much for that other Scripture Wee looke for new Heavens and a new Earth A Third Scripture and that they deeme to have some strength in too In Daniel 2.44 And in the days of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdome shall not be left to other People but it shall breake in pieces and consume all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever And this Text Aroher in his book referrs to the personall reigne of Christ Now Beloved to give you the scope of this Text take these Answers First it is true that a Kingdome is given by God to Jesus Christ and that Kingdom was given by God to Christ while hee was here upon the Earth in the forme of a servant and this Luke tells you Chap. 1. vers 32 33. Hee shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David And hee shall reigne over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end So that Iesus Christ had a Kingdome and hee is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords in Heaven Secondly it is said here that this Kingdome it was begun in the dayes of those Kings Now in whose dayes doth this Kingdome speake of It speakes of those that divided Alexanders Kingdome who overcame the Medes and Persians it was divided betweene Ptolomy Ring of Egypt and Silucas King of Assyria and the loynes of those Kings should succeede in Government In their time Jesus Christ did set up a Kingdome for hee was borne King of the Jewes Thirdly it is apparent that this cannot be referred to Christs Kingdome in this World for a thousand yeares First it cannot be said that it should be a Kingdome for ever and ever for a Kingdome for a thousand yeares cannot be said to be a Kingdome for ever and ever but it is said in Daniel it shall be for ever and ever A Fourth Scripture is in Eph. 5.5 For this yee know that no Whoremonger nor Vncleane person nor Covetous Man who is an Idolater hath any Inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God And this Text Gerrard quotes and doth well resolve it they say there is not onely a Kingdome of God that is Heaven but the Scripture doth make mention of a Kingdome of Christ and a Kingdome of God Therefore they build on this of Christs Reigne and of having of a Kingdome here upon Earth First I answer it is true Christ hath a Kingdome but hee saith expresly that his Kingdome is not of this World John 18.36 Jesus answered my Kingdome is not of this World c. Secondly though it be said that there is here a Kingdome of Christ yet it is not expressed to be upon the Earth for a 1000 yeares Thirdly this Kingdome of Christ Interpreters referre it to the same with the Kingdome of God and to be meant meerly exegettically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two expressions agree alike in one many phrases in Scripture which doe onely imply that Jesus Christ now in Heaven hee is King and Priest his Kingly Office now in Heaven ruling all the Church of God by his Word and Power Therefore those Phrases carry onely thus much that Christ is King now in Heaven the Administration of all affaires in the World at his dispose but when hee shall come to judge the World then hee shall deliver up all to his Father A fifth Text they have is in Mat. 26.29 But I say unto you I will not drinke henceforth of this
on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and they could not be in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that Aboundant measure was not given because Christ was yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascention and untill hee was glorified Therefore the Apostles soone after his Ascention they received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts by Christ to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this as the fruit of Christs Ascention Ephesians 4.10 11 12. vers Hee that descended is the same also that Ascended up farre above all heavens that hee might fill all things And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ So that you are to looke upon not onely your own Christian gifts whereby God brings you to Heaven but all Ministeriall gifts are the fruits of Christs giving to Heaven Fifthly Christ is gone to Heaven It is to comfort us in this that Christ being bodily in Heaven it might make thee holdy bold and fiducially confident when ever thou comest to God in Prayer thou dost come to God in Prayer but thou may be comest to him as thou hast Jesus Christ at his Right hand in Heaven presenting thy Prayers to God for thee there is this very comfort given in by the Apostle Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that wee have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Jesus Christ being in Heaven it should worke a holy bodnesse in us to keepe out feare and distrust when thou prayest because we have an High Priest that is past into the highest Heavens Jesus the Sonne of God Who would not come boldly to the Court when hee knows that the Kings Eldest Sonne is his friend and is assured of his love that hee will intercede for him to his Father Jesus Christ is the King of Heaven the eldest Sonne and hee is bound by Office to represent all our supplications and make Intercessions for us Sixthly that Christ being gone bodily into Heaven it may bee of comfort that though Jesus Christ be gone bodily into Heaven yet hee hath the same relation towards a Believer which hee had to them whilst hee was upon the Earth When hee was on the Earth did Christ say go tell my Brethren that I am to ascend and after hee was taken up into Heaven yet hee calls them his Brethren Heb. 2.11 For both hee that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause hee is not ashamed to call them Brethren Though Christ was crowned with glory and gone up to Heaven yet hee was not ashamed to call Believers Brethren Now in Heaven Christ is thy God there and Christ is thy Father there Christ is thy Prince there and Christ is thy friend there and this may administer much comfort to thee that Jesus Christ retaines the same relation now he is in heaven that he had with thee in the world Therefore Iob could speak in a vision saith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I know my Kinsman liveth for so theword signifieth I know my kinsman liveth Christ did only call his Disciples Brothers when hee was in the flesh and so hee calleth them Brothers now is in heaven Suppose thou art a poor woman that dost marry a man that is mean poor in the world why suppose this man should come to the dignity of a King it would be a great comfort to thee that thou that wast but a beggar art now become a Kings Wife so though thou art mean in the world yet Jesus Christ doth preferre thee to be his Brother Seventhly and lastly it may serve for comfort in this regard that Christ is gone to Heaven for this very purpose to prepare Heaven for thee I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Christ is our forerunner gone to Heaven before us and gone to Heaven for us Christ did not onely dye for us but Christ did go to heaven for us all was for us Heb. 10.19.20 Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That is having hopes to come to enter into Heaven by the blood of Christ through Christs flesh as dying on the Crosse And thus much be spoken for the Doctrinall part of this poynt the poynt was this That Christs Ascention or going up bodily to Heaven is a ground of great comfort to Gods people whilst they live here upon the Earth I shall now draw out some instructions from some circumstances in Christs going to Heaven There are five circumstances from which you may gather some instruction First from the time when Christ did leave this World and ascend up to goe to Heaven if you reade the Evangelists they will tell you it was about the 33 yeare of his Age hee left this World and goeth up to Heaven Learne thus much from thence that if Christ would leave the World in the flower of his Age a young man then this should be fastened on the Meditation of you young men that you should not have your hearts too much glued to the World to hancker after a long life Suppose God should take thee away now in the flower of thy age now God took Christ away so Secondly you may learne somewhat from the place whence Christ did ascend it is very observable It was Mount Olivet Acts 1.12 Then returned they unto Ierusalem from the Mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days Journey Luke saith it was from Bethany Luke 24.50.51 And hee led them out as farre as to Bethany and hee lifted up his hands and blessed them And it came to passe while hee blessed them hee was parted from them and carried up into heaven It was all one but there is much of Gods minde in this of all places in the World Christ did make choyce of Bethany by Mount Olivet to go up to Heaven Beloved the reason was because that was the place that Christ was taken in
Heaven it is a ground of comfort to thee that though thou hast no place to put thy head in here in this World yet remember Christ is gone to prepare Heaven for thee It may be many of you have poor cottages smoaky houses why for all that lift up thy heart with joy that Christ is gone to prepare a large place in Heaven for thee Ballans the Arrian Emperour when hee did threaten Basill and said that neither by Sea not Land hee should be safe from his power yet saith Basil for all the Emperours rage I shall be either in Heaven or under Heaven Why so though thou mayst be driven to and fro by Sea and Land and have no abiding place of safety to put thy head in yet maugre the malice of Men and Divells thou shalt be either in Heaven or under Heaven A Cardinall threatned Luther with this that there should not be a place left for Luther in all the Empire O saith Luther smilingly if Earth cannot keepe mee yet Heaven shall Beloved beare up your Hearts that though thou mayst not have an abiding place on Earth yet thou hast one prepared for thee in Heaven Fourthly is Christ gone into Heaven to prepare a place for Beleevers then all Christlesse and Gracelesse men have no benefit by the Passion or Ascension of our Lord Iesus Christ dyed but not for thee Christ rose againe but not for thee Christ is gone up to Heaven but not for thee heâ— will prepare no place in Heaven for thee therefore as was spoken of Judas Acts 1.25 That hee may take part of this Ministery and Apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his Owne place It was to no place of Christs preparing it was prepared of old for condemnation In the phrase of Jude Tophet is prepared of old it is a place of an angry God and not a place prepared by a Mediatour This therefore should be matter of astonishment to all Christlesse and Gracelesse men what though Christ be gone into Hearen yet thou shalt never follow after him What though Christ prepareth a place for all his Elect yet hee prepareth none for thee thy place is prepared by an angry God thou goest to Hell and not to a place prepared by Jesus Christ And thus I have done with the second Doctrine to wit that the fruit and benefit that all the Elect of God have by Christs going into Heaven it is to prepare a place for them I goe and prepare a place for you Doct. 3 The third maine Doctrine it is the Doctrine of Christs coming againe I goe and prepare a place for you but I will come againe Christ may stay long but hee will not stay ever but Christ that said he would goe away also said hee would come againe To explicate the phrase I will come againe what is meant by Christs coming againe Beloved there are foure sorts of Interpretations of these words neither which are true but the last First by coming againe some understand by Christs first coming so the Jewes understand the Jewes that doe study for some of them doe study the Evangelists though they study to confute it they doe not believe that Christ is come so they make it of his coming in the flesh John 4. it was their sence of the coming of Christ in the 25. verse The Woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when hee is come hee will tell us all things why hee was come but shee thought that hee had not beene come O saith Jesus Christ I am hee I am come already so that the Jewes and the Samaritans did ever take the phrase of Christs coming but not to Judge the World but of the coming in the flesh Secondly it cannot be understood as by the coming of Christ by his spirit so some Interpreters doe understand the words but I will come againe by his Spirit and they make it agreeable to that phrase but loe I goe away but I will bee with you to the end of the World but Calvin rejects it because the next words say I will come againe to receive you to my selfe Thirdly it cannot be meant as the Milliners understand it of Christs coming again to remaine a thousand yeares upon the Earth and for that I shall give you severall demonstrations from Scripture when I come to handle it Fourthly by Christs coming againe it is to be understood as Calvin and most Interpreters take it of Christs coming to Judge the World As if hee should say I goe to prepare Heaven for you and I promise you to come againe that though your bodies die and rot in the Graves yet I will come againe and raise you up another day and receive you unto my selfe It is to be understood of his last coming And thus much for the Explication of the phrase Obser 3 The Observation is this Christ doth here give them a promise of his coming to comfort their troubled hearts From thence observe That Christs coming againe to judge the World is a Doctrine full of comfort to every Believer whilst they are here upon the Earth for the proofe of this see 1 Thess 4.15 to the end For this wee say unto you by the Word of the Lord that wee which are alive and remaine unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asteepe For the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a sheut with the voyce of the Archangell and with the Trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then wee which are alive and remaine shall bee caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the Ayre and so shall wee ever bee with the Lord Wherefore comfort one another with these words In the handling of this there are three particulars and then the use The first is by way of Objection what comfort is this to us or to them that Christ should bid them they should not be troubled that hee would come againe when betweene the making of this accomplishment and this time it hath run above 1600 years already Answer First that Tract of time can neither interrupt the accomplishment of a promise nor the comfort of a promise it is comfortable that what is promised shall sooner or later come to passe especially in this wherein all the comforts of the Elect of God are reserved to the day of judgement Daniel 10.1 In the third yeare of Cyrus King of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel whose Name was called Belteshazzar and the thing was true but the time appointed was long and hee understood the thing and had understanding of the vision It is a promise made by Christ to comfort you against all the troubles of the World hee will come againe and though the time be long ere hee doth come yet the time appointed will be true it is certaine though it be long Secondly that the godly in ages before us they could
fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome And this Alsted quotes from thence they gather it cannot be meant of Heaven why because there is no eating and drinking there here is promise by Jesus Christ and come to them no more till hee would drinke with them Wine in his Fathers Kingdome and it cannot be unlesse Christ doth come in person amongst his people Therefore Christ must have a Kingdome to eate and drinke with his people in this World This they stand much upon Take these cleare Answers to these Quotations First if all this cannot be meant of a Kingdome in this World for a thousand yeares my reason is this because the Kingdome which is Christs personall reigne it should be called Christs Kingdome and not his Fathers Kingdome it should have been called my Kingdome and not my Fathers Kingdome that is one answer that Divines give Secondly observe this that this may referre to that time betweene Christs Resurrection and Ascention for after Christ did rise from the dead you know hee did continue forty dayes on the Earth and the Scripture telleth you in Luke 24.42 And they gave him a piece of broyled Fish and of an Hony-combe And hee tooke it and did eate before them So he may as well drinke as eate but that to mee is somewhat uncertaine Thirdly which is the true scope of this place I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome hee was taking the Lords Supper and was drinking the Cup of Wine saith hee I am going away and will drinke no more till wee meete in Heaven not that there should be Eating and Drinking in Heaven but when you and I meete wee shall have sweet fellowship and communion together as Eating and Drinking together As Feasting is a badge of Communion and a badge of Love so there should be endeared love and endeared Communion with Christ in Heaven you shall drink it new not new Wine nor eate new Bread but after a new manner of Love and Communion they should expresse Love each to other and have everlasting Communion one with another They say likewise that there shall be no sinne in the World and that the Earth shall be restored to its primitive fruitfulnesse as it were before the fall but I shall not meddle with these And thus according to my poore measure I have laboured to lay downe the grounds from Scripture why Christ cannot come to reigne personally upon the Earth a thousand yeares and have vindicated those Scriptures that seeme to patronize that Opinion Vse Is it so that the Scripture doth not determine of any coming of Christ out of Heaven till his last and great coming to judge the World O then labour to make it your worke to have Jesus Christ as King to reigne in your hearts by mortification to rule in thy Heart by his Spirit to Mortifie thy head-strong lusts that are in thee Secondly Seeing there is no Christ coming as King in this World why then labour to have Christ to reigne in his Church by a well-ordered Discipline that the Government of Christ may be established in the places where you dwell Thirdly seeing there is no Christ coming as King in this World then doe not trouble your selves about Niceties and Obscurities about his coming upon the Earth but labour to be fitted and prepared for his last and great coming Fourthly if Christ should come to reigne upon the Earth which the Scripture no ways speakes of then certainly the Saints of these times they doe make but a bad preparative for Christs reigne men that doe impale Saint-ship and monopolize Saint-ship unto themselves and say they are the people of God The Church of Christ and the Saints of Christ they make but a bad preparation for Christs coming to live in sensuality as they doe and comit such wickednesses as they doe upon the Earth This is but a bad preparation and but poore encouragement to Jesus Christ to come and reigne amongst such Saints as these are which indeed are a scandall to Saints a scandall to Religion and would be a scandall to that thousand yeares of Christ if hee should come to reigne but Christ will have better Saints then these are to reigne with him In treating of the Doctrine of Christs coming againe the other Quere is this how or after what manner shall this coming of Christ be but I will come againe Now in the resolving of this question I shall confine my answer to these six Particulars First hee shall come certainly Secondly hee shall come personally Thirdly he shall come visibly Fourthly hee shall come gloriously Fifthly hee shall come terribly And sixtly hee shall come unexpectedly These wayes the Scripture doth furnish you with severall hints touching his coming First the Lord Jesus shall come certainly Christs coming is not to be numbred among Poeticall Fictions or with the delusion of Mahomet but the certainty of Christs coming againe it is built on these three foundations First it is built on the immutability of Gods decree Acts 17.31 Because he hath appoynted a day in the which hee will judge the World in righteousnesse by that Man whom hee hath ordained whereof hee hath given assurance unto all men in that hee hath raised him from the dead The immutability of Gods decree doth prove the certainty of Christs coming God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World Secondly the certainty doth stand upon the infallibility of Christs promises Mat. 26.64 Jesus saith unto him Thou hast said neverthelesse I say unto you Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven there is Christs promise to which three of the Evangelists doe concurre Thirdly the certainty of his coming it is grounded upon the impartiality of his Justice here every man hath not right and in Solomons Phrase a just man perisheth in his uprightnesse and a wicked man prolongeth his days in wickednesse therefore to shew Gods impartiality there must be a coming of the Sonne of Man to judge the World righteously I means this because the Doctrine of Christs coming is impugned by Atheists therefore you reade what Peter tells you 2 Peter 3.3 4. knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts And saying where is the promise of his coming For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the begining of the Creation And wee reade of the men of Athens they questioned this and would not believe this of Christs coming to judge the World Acts 17.32 And when they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said wee will heare thee againe of this matter Why of old time in the times of Jesus Christ or soone after men did mock at this Doctrine that the
dead should rise and Christ should come to judge both the quick and the dead Herein Gerrard reckons up abundance of Sects as the Floriani the Dociani and many others Indeed there is but one Scripture that carries a hesitancy in these Atheists to deny the coming of CHRIST to Judgement John 8.15 Yee judge after the flesh I judge no Man But Beloved to this Text that they make use of to shake this great Pillar of our hopes the coming of Christ againe take these two Answers when Christ saith I judge no man that is I judge no man with a rash and heady judgement as you judge men that are not of your Opinion you judge things rashly and inconsideratly but I judge no man as you doe so Austine in his 36 Tract on John gives it to be the sence of the place it doth not exclude Christ from judging the World at the last day but not judging of men as the Pharisees to wit rashly and inconsiderately Secondly Christ doth here speake what was not the end of his coming in the flesh but the end of his coming was to judge all men but I judge no man that is it was not the intent or the end of my first coming in the flesh to judge men but I referre it to the last coming to judge all men John 1. When God sent his Sonne to be borne of a Virgin hee did not send him then to judge the World hee reserved that till his last coming John 12.47 48. And if any man heare my words and believe not I judge him not for I come not to judge the World but to save the World Hee that rejecteth mee and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The end of my first coming was not to judge it was to be judged and to be condemned by Pontius Pilate and â—o die the cursed death And that is the end of Christs first coming he shall come certainly Secondly Christ shall not onely come certainly but hee shall come personally It was the great mistake of Origen though hee holds for the coming of Christ againe but hee pleades chiefly for the coming of Christ in Spirit Therefore that Text that is said you shall see the Sonne of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven but Origen understands by the Clouds to be the Saints because it is mentioned in Scripture that the Believers are called a cloud of witnesses Now this is to pervert the whole letter of this Bible and turne all the Scripture into an Allegory and Metaphysicall sence Now to the opposition of that I lay down a second property that Christs coming shall be a personall coming out of Heaven but the Scripture doth not speake of Christs coming on the Earth but no further then the Aire Christ in his Body shall come personally out of Heaven Now to prove this second property or second manner or way of Christs coming there are two Texts of Scripture to confirme it 1 Thess 4.17 Then wee which are alive and remaine shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the Aire and so shall we ever be with the Lord vers 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend with a shout from Heaven c. If it had beene Christ in his Spirit then it would have beene said The Lord by his spirit shall descend But the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout it notes his personall coming out of Heaven that whereas as Jesus Christ had a personall translation and as Christ had a visible Elevation hee was in the eyes of his Disciples lifted up so Christ shall bodily descend and come out from heaven the Lord himselfe c. Therefore it cannot be the Lord by his Spirit Acts 1.11 Which also said yee men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seene him goe into Heaven The same Jesus that you saw Ascend shall descend so that it cannot be Christ in his Spirit but in his person I onely mention this to confute those that follow the conceit of Origen meerly to make Christs coming to be but a spirituall coming a coming in the hearts of Saints Thirdly his coming it shall be visibly Acts 1.11 This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him goe into heaven That as Christs going up to Heaven bodily it was visible so Christs coming out of Heaven it shall be visible Mat. 26 64. Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of Man sitting on the right hand of Power and coming in the clouds Indeed Christ did rise invisibly for no man saw Christ rise from the dead but Christ shall descend visibly you shall see the Sonne of man c. Mat. 24.30 And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory All men shall see the glory of Jesus Christ the wicked shall see him to their Amazement and consternation and the godly shall see him to their joy and Consolation Fourthly Christs coming shall be gloriously and there shall bee many things that shall make the coming of Christ to be a glorious coming he shall come in the clouds these glorious bodies shall be the triumphant and swift Chariots of the Sonne of God wherein he will come to judge the World And his Attendants shall make him glorious Daniel 7.10 A fiery streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and â—â—n thousand times ten thousand stood before him the judgement was set and the bookes were opened Jude 14. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of those saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints And in 2 Thess 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels O then behold the clouds to be the Triumphant Chariots of Christ the Innumerable company of Saints and Angells to be attendants on the person of Christ to come to judge the world and that is the reason that he is called so glorious Mat. 24.30 And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Mat. 16.27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angells Luk. 9.26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when hee shall come in his owne glory and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels And that is the reason of that Epither given to Christs coming Titus 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the