LOOKING UNTO JESUS

IN HIS SECOND COMING.

THE NINTH BOOK.

CHAP. 1:

 

SECT. 1:

Of CHRIST's preparing for Judgment.

            AND is not all done yet? O the unwearied patience, love, mercy, free grace of CHRIST in carrying on this mighty work! He begun it before the beginning of the world since then he has been laboring in it about six thousand years; and now the time of restoring being come, he will perfect what he has begun. In this also, as in the former, we shall first lay down the object, and then give directions how to look upon it.

            The object is JESUS, carrying on that great work of our salvation, in his coming again to earth, and taking up with him all his saints into heaven. In this work, I shall set before you these particulars:-1. CHRIST's preparing for judgment. 2. CHRIST's coming to judgment. 3. CHRIST's summons to the elect to come under judgment. 4. CHRIST and the saints meeting at the judgment-day. 5. CHRIST's judging the saints, and sentencing them for eternal glory. 6. CHRIST and his saints judging the rest of the world. 7. CHRIST and his saints going up into heaven; when shall be the end of this world. S. CHRIST surrendering up the kingdom to GOD, even the Father. 9. CHRIST's subjection to the Father, that GOD may be all in all. 1O. Notwith­standing this, CHRIST's being all in all to his blessed, saved, redeemed saints, to all eternity.

            1. For his preparing for judgment. When once the number of his elect shall be completed, and the work of his intercession shall be at an end, then immediately will follow these particulars: (1.) "A great voice comes out of the temple of heaven, saying, It is done." It comes out of the temple of heaven, that we may understand it to be the voice of CHRIST. And if this speech be directed unto GOD, it is as if CHRIST bad bespoke his Father thus "And now, O my Father, I have done; that office of the priesthood which we erected, is at an end. I have sat at thy right hand in interceding for my saints ever since my ascension; and now their number is completed, I am resolved to unpin the fabrick of the world, and take it down; it stands but for their sakes; and therefore now let the seventh angel blow his trumpet, that the mystery of GOD maybe finished. "I swear by him that lives forever, that time shall be no longer." (2.) No sooner is this said, but " the seventh angel sounds." This seventh angel (says Pareus,) is the archangel that proclaims CHRIST's coming with a great and mighty shout: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." "The Lord shall descend with a shout;" but before he descends, and I believe upon the very discovery of his coming down, there will be a shout in heaven: for so it follows, " And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven; the voices of blessed souls, and blessed saints, and blessed angels in heaven." No sooner does CHRIST bid the angel sound, that is, summon

all souls, and all angels,;and bid them wait on me;’ now I resolve to go clown, and to judge the world; no sooner, "I "say, does CHRIST bid the angel sound, but pre­sently, at the joy of his command, all the voices in heaven give a shout; this is the long-looked for day, the day of perfecting the number of the saints; the day of joining the souls and bodies of the saints together; the day of convening all the families both of saints and angels; the day of bringing up the bride unto the Lamb, and of completing the marriage solemnity. And therefore no wonder if at this news great voices and cries (such as are used by mariners, or gatherers of the vintage,) are made in heaven. Now they shout and sing a new song, GQ The kingdoms of this,-world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his CHRIST, and he shall reign for ever and ever." (3.) After this shout, QO the four and twenty elders which sit before GOD on their seats, fall upon their faces, and worship GOD, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord GOD Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because you have taken to thee thy great power, and­have reigned." By these we understand all GOD’s saints of the old and newTestament,comprehendedunder the twelve patriarchs, and twelve apostles; first, they praise, and then they pray. 1. They praise GOD for taking to himself his own power. 2. They pray CHRIST to go on to judgment. (4.) GOD the Father is well pleased with CHRIST's purpose of judging the world. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit you at Iny right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." I know these words were spoken to CHRIST at his ascension into heaven, yet that hinders not but that now GOD speaks them again to CHRIST; for "as yet," says the apostle, "we see not all things put under him;" and GOD’s purpose was, that CHRIST should rule until he had put all things in subjection under his feet. There is a difference between CHRIST's reign before, and his present reign. At the day of judgment, CHRIST has a double throne, whereon he sits and reigns: " To him that over­ comes, will I give to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne." That kingly rule that CHRIST has from his ascension, is upon his Father's throne, but the kingdom that CHRIST shall have at the day of judgment, and ever after, is the joint reign of him with the Father; he shall have a throne himself, and the saints shall sit with him on his own throne. And now, says the Father, "Sit you at my right hand;" sit on thy own throne by me; go on to judge the nations; I will not judge them, but only in thee, and by thee; " Lo, I have committed all judgment unto the Son;" and do you judge them, until you have rewarded thy friends, and made thine enemies thy foot­stool.

            Christians, I cannot but wonder at this joy in heaven, and that we have so little of this on earth; we say, with cold lips and frozen hearts, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven;" but if our prayers were real and fervent, if we could but imitate those heavenly citizens, what longings would be in our hearts after CHRIST's coming? How should we rejoice at the very thoughts hereof? CHRIST comforting his disciples in respect thereof, speaks these words, GQ When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." The fullness of our redemption is a ground of consolation; all the spirits above are sensible of this; GOD, and CHRIST, and the angels, and saints rejoice. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come;" and CHRIST himself says, "Surely I come quickly;" O let us say Amen to it; "even so come,. Lord JESUS."

SECT. 2:

Of CHRIST coming to Judgment.

            No sooner is CHRIST prepared, and all in readiness, but he descends from his throne to the judgment-seat. In this passage, I shall observe these particulars:.

            1. He descends with his train. He comes with his royal attendants out of heaven. "Behold the Lord comes with mighty angels. Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment unto all."  Certainly, a numberless number shall wait upon him. Daniel tells us of a thousand thousand that this day minister unto CHRIST; "A thousand thousand ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him." Or, if heaven have more, I believe heaven will empty itsel€, of all the saints, and all the angels; not one spirit shall stay when CHRIST descends. "The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him." O what a glorious day will this be! If one sun make the morning sky so glorious, what a glorious morning will that be, when so many thousands of suns shall shine over our heads, the glorious body of CHRIST surpassing them all in glory? Here is a new heaven of suns and stars, such as this nether world never saw, GQ Lo, the Sun of Righteousness with all his morning stars, singing and shouting for joy." Heaven now empties itself of all its created citizens, and cleaves asunder to make way for CHRIST and all his train.

            2. In his descent through tine heavens, he shakes the heavens: for "the powers of heaven shall be shaken." The whole frame of heaven, the mighty bodies thereof, most mighty in their substance, motion, and operation, shall be shaken. "At his nod the pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished." As yet they are subject to vanity, and therefore it is no wonder. if at the coming of CHRIST they tremble. In this shaking, the evangelist adds, that the glorious lights of heaven shall be altered; "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall." The coming, of CHRIST Shall bring with him such a light that the splendour of the sun and moon shall be obscured.

            3. As he passes through the elementary world, a fire .does usher him. "Our GOD shall come, and shall not beep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.-Behold the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirl­wind.-And the Lord JESUS shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire." In which respect, Daniel saw his "throne like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire; a fiery stream issued, and came forth from before him." And at last this fire shall have that effect, that the very "elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up." O Christians! what cause have we to make the apostle's use of this point, " Seeing all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for, and basting unto the coming of the day of GOD, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat."

            He descends lower and lower, till he is enwrapt with clouds. " Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." When he went up into heaven, it is said, that "a cloud received him out of their sight;" and the angels then said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same JESUS, which is taken up into heaven, shall so come, in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven." He went up in clouds, and he shall come down in clouds. "I saw in the night visions, asd behold one like the Son of man, came with the clouds of heaven." Here is the first sight of CHRIST to men on the earth; when once he is come down into the clouds, then shall they lift up their eyes, and have a full view of JESUS CHRIST: a cloud first received him out of their sight, and a cloud now discovers him to their sight "Then shall appear the sign of. the Son of man in heaven, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Is it not plain, that the first appearing and sight of CHRIST at his second coming from heaven is in the midst of clouds? " Behold, -he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." Shall not we, at the first view of him in his clouds, cry out, O! yonder is he, whose blood redeemed us, whose Spirit cleansed us, whose prayers prevail for us, whose law did govern us?

            Yonder comes he in whom we trusted, and now we see he has not deceived our trust; yonder is he for whom we waited long, and now we see we have not waited in vain. I verily believe thus it will be with us one day; we shall have comfort then. O let us comfort ourselves with these words; and ever and anon cry, " Come, Lord JESUS, come quickly! Make haste, my Beloved, and be you like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountain of spices."

SECT. 3:

Of CHRIST's summoning of the Elect to come under Judgment.

            No sooner is he in the clouds, but "he sends his holy angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to another." 1. " He shall send his angels." This was their office from their first creation; they were still sent of GOD this way, and that way; and indeed herein is one difference between CHRIST and the angels, He was to sit at GOD’s right hand, but they were sent abroad to minister to the saints and people of God. 2. The commission given the angels, immediately to sound the trumpet; so it follows, "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet:" some would have it to be a material trumpet, others more probably look upon this as a metaphorical expression, and sig­nifying only a sound formed in the air, like the sound of a trumpet, A voice it is without all controversy; and.. metaphorically, it may be called a trumpet, both from the clearness and greatness of the sound: so loud shall it be, that it will pierce into the ears of the dead in their graves: " It will shake the world, rend the rocks,. break the mountains, dissolve the bonds of death, burst down the gates of hell, and unite all spirits to their own bodies. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God." In these words is shown the coming of CHRIST in three particulars; "with a shout, with a-voice, and with a trumpet." It is agreed by most, that the transactions at the giving of the law on mount Sinai, were a represen­tation of the proceedings which shall be at the great day of judgment; now in that transaction we read of a three­fold voice, (The voice of GOD, the voice of thunder, and the voice of a trumpet, Exod. xix. 16, compared with Exod. 20: 1;) and accordingly we find the apostle speak­ing of a three-fold voice: Of CQ the voice of CHRIST, of the voice of thunder, and of the voice of a trumpet."

1 The Lord himself shall descend fQ with a shout." Lyra and others think this to be the voice of CHRIST himself, saying, with a loud voice, "Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment." Thus JESUS cried with a loud voice, " Lazarus, come forth;" and with such a voice will he call on the dead at the last day. So much CHRIST himself has taught us; " The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of GOD, and they that hear shall live." The hour is, because by the voice be raised some at his first coming. And the hour is coming, because in the like manner he will raise up all men at the last day. " Marvel not at this," says CHRIST, "for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they shall come forth." As at the creation of the world, he said, " Let there be light, and there was light;" so at the dissolution of the world, he will say, "Let the dead rise, let the sea give up the dead that are in it, and death and hell deliver up the dead which are in them; and it will be so."

            2. The Lord shall descend "with the voice of the archangel. Some argue this archangel to be Gabriel, others Raphael, others Michael, The Jews have an ancient tradition, that there are seven principal angels that minister before the throne of GOD, and therefore called archangels. The Scriptures seem to speak much that way, calling them " seven lamps of fire burning before the throne; and seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb; and the seven spirits of GOD sent forth into all the earth; and seven eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth:" and yet more plainly, "seven angels that stand before God." Now which of these seven is the archangel here spoken of, is hard to deter­mine; but probably all the archangels and all the angels are to be understood as comprehended under that one. But what is this voice of the archangel? I conceive that thereby we are to understand thunder. Here is a ma­nifest allusion to the proceedings at the giving of the law; now the voice there mentioned, besides the voice of GOD, and the voice of a trumpet, is the voice of thunder: "And it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, there were thunders."  The Lord shall descend with the trumpet of God. Such a voice was used also at the giving of the law, and so it will be now, when men are called to account for the keeping or breaking of it. For the understanding of this, our last translation tells us, that " CHRIST shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet;" in the margin of our translation it is, " CHRIST shall send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice;- that is, with a great voice, like the voice of a trumpet. But why is this sound as of a trumpet, called CQ the trumpet of God?" I answer, for the greatness of it; for it is usual in the Hebrew language, for the setting forth of the greatness of a thing, to add the name of GOD to the word, whereby its great­ness is signified; as Gen. 23: 6, "A prince of God;" that.,is, a mighty prince. Gen. 30: 8, " With the wrest­lings of God;" that is, with great wrestlings. Ps. xxxvi. 6, CQ Mountains of God;" that is,'great mountains. Ps. lxxx. 1O, " Cedars of God;" that is, very high cedars. So here, "The trump of God" is a very great sound, like the sound of a trumpet. It is said in the law, there were ~~ thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount; and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that were in the camp trembled;" anct if there was trembling at the giving the law, O what trembling will be at the general assize, when sinners shall be condemned for breaking of it?

            3. No sooner is the shout made, but the saints arise; it is true, the saints that are alive need no resurrection, but upon them will this trumpet have this effect. Some­thing like death shall seize upon them, and they shall be changed. The order of this is given in by the apostle from the Lord; `1 This we say unto you by the word of our Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout; with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of GOD, and the dead in CHRIST shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds." The first that shall be called are the saints that sleep, and then the saints that are alive. O what a day will this be! What a strange sight to see all the dead ever since the beginning of the world, rise out of their graves? The bodies of saints " were sown in corruption, but they are raised in incorruption; they were sown in dishonor, but raised in glory; they were sown in weakness, but raised in power; they were sown natural bodies, but raised spiritual bodies."

            4. No sooner are the saints raised, and their souls and bodies re-united with excellent majesty, but all the elect of GOD, from first to last, are gathered together from the most hidden; inward, secret bosom of the earth, all shall be gathered, howsoever their dusts may be scattered into a thousand thousand parts, yet the power of CHRIST shall restore them, and bring them together into their several compacted bodies.  The elect must resort to CHRIST wheresoever he is; and the apostle is express, that CHRIST is in the air, and in the clouds. And therefore thither must the elect be gathered; they shall be caught tip by the holy angels into the clouds, K to meet the Lord in the -air." Is it possible that such a meditation should pass without some effect on our spirits? If my ears shall hear that sound, and if my eyes shall see these sights, is it not time for me to lay these things to heart, that I may be found faithful and well doing? As sure as I have this book in my hand, I must be one of those that shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and away I must go from the mouth of my grave, wherever I shall be buried, to the cloud where CHRIST does sit; how would I rise? O my God! set this home on my soul! O where is my lamp’,1 and where is my oil? Are all ready, and am I ready and prepared to meet the Lord in the air.

SECT. 4:

Of CHRIST and the Saint.

            No sooner are the saints lifted up, and set before the Judge, but these things follow. 1. They admire the in­finite glory, and beauty, and dignity, and excellency that is in CHRIST. So the apostle, a When he shall come, he shall be glorified in his saints, and shall be admired in all them that believe." All that believe shall break out into admiration of JESUS CHRIST; they shall at the first sight observe such excellency in JESUS CHRIST, as they shall be infinitely taken with it; here we speak of CHRIST, and in speaking we admire; but how will they admire, when they shall not only speak or hear, but see and behold him, who is the "express image of GOD, and the bright­ness of his Father's glory?"

            2. They adore and magnify the grace and glory of JESUS CHRIST; as it is said of the twenty-four elders, that " they fell down before him that sat on the throne, and worshipped him that lives for ever and ever, and cast their crown before the throne, saying, You art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power, for you has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." So all the saints, now advanced to stand before the throne, fall down before CHRIST, and j worship him: that lives for ever and ever, shouting and praising JESUS CHRIST, and setting out his glory, grace, and goodness. " After this I beheld; (says John,) and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, o€ all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our GOD, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb; and all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped GOD,, saying; Amen; blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our GOD, for ever and ever! Amen."

            3. CHRIST sets them oil his right hand: "Upon thy right band does stand the queen in gold of Ophir." When he himself ascended up into heaven, then said the Father to him, " Son, sit you down at my right hand;­and no sooner the saints are ascended up to CHRIST, but he speaks the same to them, "Sit down at my right hand;" CHRIST entertains them as GOD the Father enter­tained him: he is placed at the right hand of GOD, and they at the right hand of CHRIST. The Lord now puts upon his saints heaven's glory; he adorns them with all his ornaments for the marriage-day, and indeed here is the beginning of the solemnity of the marriage of the Lamb; not but that the contract was before, but the solemnity was reserved for this day, and all the glory of this day is for nothing else but to set out the solemnity of the marriage.

SECT. 5:

Of CHRIST's sentencing his Saints.

            No sooner are they set on his right band,, but he pre­pares for sentence.

            1. The book must be opened. "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before GOD, and the books were opened, and another was opened which is the book of life." It is spoken after the manner of men, in whose public judgment are produced all the writings of the process, informations, depositions of wit­nesses, to show that all actions, even the most secret ones, shall then be rehearsed and made manifest. The books of the old and New Testament, wherein all things either to be done, or omitted, are prescribed by God. And the books of our consciences, which now are shut up, and concealed from men; but then shall be made manifest to all the world. Likewise, another book, which is the book of life: this book contains in it the names of all that are saved from first to last.

            2. All the actions, demeanours, graces, duties, and (it it ma, be,) sins of saints, shall be produced and laid operl; the Holy Ghost tells us, that " the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books." It appears hence, that not only names, but things were written, and these things were produced, and accordingly they were judged. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Every word here is full of life and joy: 1. "Come;" this is the king's invitation of his saints to his court; he has summoned them before to his presence, and now they are about him, they must come nearer yet, they must go with him into his presence­chamber. 2. "Come, ye blessed of my Father;" CHRIST blessed them when he went up to heaven, and whilst yet on earth he pronounced them blessed many a time; but now he calls them " the blessed of his Father:" it is the Father's will, as well as CHRIST's, that they should be blessed,’lye blessed of my Father." 3. "Inherit the kingdom:" CHRIST had told them before, "It is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom;" but then they were only servants, or as children under age, now they are heirs, "heirs of GOD, joint-heirs with CHRIST;" and therefore they must have the inheritance in posses­sion, they must all be kings. This word is the anointing, "the setting of the crown upon the heads of the saints "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righte­ousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing," 4. " Inherit the kingdom pre­pared for you." In the beginning GOD created heaven; his first work was to make heaven for himself and his saints to dwell in; he prepared it for them, and then he prepared them for it: but why for them? Were not angels the first creatures that possessed it? Nay; were they not created in it,. or together with it? Yes, but yet the angels are. not properly the heirs, sons, members, spouse of Godand CHRIST, as the saints are. The angels are but ministering spirits, and the servants of the Bride­groom,; but the saints are the bride herself, heirs, and co-heirs with CHRIST, as the saints are. 5. " Prepared for you from the foundation of the world." This was the great design of GOD and CHRIST from all eternity.

SECT. VI

Of CHRIST and the Saints judging the rest of the World.

            No sooner shall the saints be acquitted, anointed; crowned; but presently they must be enthroned, and sit with JESUS CHRIST to judge the world. 1. As CHRIST is on a throne, so must the elect be set on thrones; "To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me on my throne." Thrones-are for kings and judges; and in that CHRIST has now lifted up his saints to this condition, he will have them sit with him as so many judges, and as so many kings; or, if it be more honor to have thrones for themselves, than to sit with CHRIST in his throne, John, in his vision, saw many thrones; "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them."

            2. The goats or. the left hand shall then be called to receive their doom. Now shall their hearts fail them for fear; now shall they seek death, (O how gladly would they die again!) but shall not find it; now shall they cry to rocks and mountains, " Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;- but all in vain; the command is out, angels and devils will force them to the bar, for the Lord has spoken it; "Those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither."

            3. They shall look on CHRIST, and his saints, now sitting on their thrones, as prisoners that stand at the bar in the face of the judge; so must these reprobates look the Judge and all his assessors in the face. (l.) For the Judge, they shall look on him, "Behold he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." And this very sight will be as convincing as if they heard CHRIST say, " You art the man that didst murder me, you art the man that has pierced me; this wound, this scar, and this print of the. nails in my hands and feet were thy doings, in sinning against me. I am he whom you did crucify afresh; I am he whose person you despised, whose commands you disobeyed, whose ministers you abused, whose servants you hated, whose offers you rejected; and of whom you said, there is no beauty in him that we should desire him." (2.) For the saints, they shall look on them. In the apocryphal books there is a plain description of this, " Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labors; and when they see it they shall be troubled with, terrible fear, and shall be ashamed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for; and they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, This is he whom we had some­times in derision, and a proverb of reproach; we fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honor; how is he numbered among the children of, GOD, and his lot among the saints!" Here is a sight that will trouble and amaze the wicked, that those who sometime were their footstools should now be on thrones; that poor Lazarus, who lay at the gates of that rich man, should now shine like a star near the Sun of Righteousness; that they who were reproached, reviled, massacred, murdered by them, should now be their judges, joining with JESUS CHRIST to sentence them to hell.

            4. A particular, strict account shall be then required, and given. (l.) Of sins: "Come, (will CHRIST say,) now confess all your sins before all the world." Time was that you concealed your sins, but now every sin shall be laid open before GOD, angels, and men; and now is the book of their consciences opened, wherein appear all their sins original and actual; of omission and com­mission. O the numberless number of evil thoughts, words, and deeds that are now laid open'! In the book are not only written all sins done, but all such sins as were intended to be done; all the projects of the heart, though never acted, those very thoughts, secrets, pur­poses, and projects shall come to light; or if there be any thing more hidden or secret, as the very bent and frame of your hearts, the very inclinations of your souls to this or that evil, shall then be manifest to all the world. Nay, yet more, such sins, as by the sinners themselves were never taken notice of, either before, or at, or after the commission of them, shall this day come out. Conscience is such a kind of notary, that it keeps records of all acts and deeds, whether you observe them or not.. Conscience has the pen of a ready writer, and takes in short-hand from your mouths as fast as you speak, and from your hearts as fast as you can contrive. O what a day will this be, when not a sin committed by any reprobate from the beginning of the world, but now it shall be rehearsed.

(2.) As an account of all sins, so an account of all temporal gifts which GOD has imparted to reprobates must now be given. Some have the gifts of the world; as riches, honors, places of authority, others have the gifts of-the body, as health, strength, beauty, life; others have the gifts of the mind, as understanding, wisdom, learning; now of all these gifts they must give an account. Come, you that are rich, (says CHRIST,) render an account of your stewardship; how have you spent your riches? The like will he say to others according to the talents bestowed on them: you excelled in strength; beauty, health of body, length of days; and now tell me, and publish it to all the world, bow were these improved? I believe many a sad answer will be given to CHRIST of these things.

            5. CHRIST and his saints proceed to sentence, First, CHRIST, the chief Judge, shall pronounce it, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Every word breathes out nothing but vengeance and woe; to depart from that glorious presence of CHRIST were hell enough, but they must go with a curse; nor only so, but into fire; and that must be everlasting; and therein they shall have no other com­pany, or comforters, but devils, and they insulting over them with hellish spite, and stinging exprobations. Secondly, The saints shall judge the very self-same judg­ment, " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" That they, as well as CHRIST, shall judge the world, is without controversy; "And judgment was given to the saints of the Most High. Ye also. shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." " Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all." "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" Nor only shall we judge the world, but the GOD of the world, the princi­palities and powers that captivate wicked men at their pleasure; even they must be judged by those whom they formerly foiled; so then there is no question but they shall judge. Only how the saints shall judge together with CHRIST is a very deep question. For my part I any apt to think, that it shall not be directly known before it be seen or done,

            6. What terror it will be to all wicked men! When not only CHRIST, but all the saints shall say of them, "Away with them, let them be punished." You that are fathers, it may be that your children will thus sentence you. I remember when the Jews told CHRIST, that "he cast out devils through Beelzebub the prince of the devils," he answered, " If I through Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? There­fore they shall be. your judges." They liked well enough the miracles of their children, but they could not endure those of CHRIST; and therefore he tells them, that their children whom GOD had converted, and to whom he had given power to~ do the same works as he did, even they should' be their judges to condemn them. And so it may be with you, if any of your children be converted to the Lord, and you remain still in a natural state, your very children will be your judges, and condemn you to hell.

SECT. 8:

Of CHRIST and his Saints going up into Heaven, and of the End of this World.

            No sooner are the reprobates gone to their place, but the saints ascend; now CHRIST arises from his judgment­ seat, and with all the glorious company of heaven, marches toward the heaven of heavens. O what a comely march is this! what songs of triumph are sung! CHRIST leads the way, the cherubim attend, the seraphim wait on, angels, archangels, principalities, powers, patriarchs, prophets, priests, evangelists, martyrs, and confessors of GOD’s law and gospel, following, attend the Judge, and King of glory; singing with melody, such as never ear had heard; shining with majesty, such as eye had never seen; rejoicing without measure, as never heart con­ceived! O goodly troop of captains! each does bear a palm of victory in his hand, each does wear a crown of glory upon his head; the church militant is now tri­umphant; with a, final overthrow have they conquered devils, death, and hell; and now must they enjoy GOD, life, and heaven.

            No sooner CHRIST and his company are in heaven, -but this whole world is set on fire. " The heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works therein,, shall be burnt up." Christians! what is the matter that we are so busy about this world? Look about you, not one of these visible objects shall that day remain, or have a being; that glorious heaven, which rolls over our heads shall be " rolled together as a scroll, and all the host shall fall down as a leaf falleth from the vine, and as, a falling fig from the fig-tree,-the heaven shall vanish away like smoke." Alas! what do we do toiling all the day (it may be all our life,) for a little of this little; almost nothing-earth? You that have an hundred, or two hundred,. or a thousand acres, if every acre were a kingdom, all will be at last burnt up; so that none shall say that here was Preston, or here was LONDON, or here was England, or here was Europe, or here the globe of the earth on which men trod; let others boast as they will of their inheritances, but Lord, give me an inheritance above all these visible things, Heaven shall remain when earth shall vanish. Here we have no abiding city; but O let us seek one to come, even that which will abide for ever and ever, Amen

SECT. VIII.

Of CHRIST's delivering up the Kingdom to GOD, even the Father.

            No sooner is he in heaven, but 1. He presents the elect unto his Father: of this the apostle speaks, "'You has he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight." To this end CHRIST died, that he, might wash us and cleanse us by his blood, and then present us without spot unto his Father, 2. He presents all his commissions to his Father. So in this case it is with CHRIST as it is with some general, whom the king sends forth with regal authority to the war, who, having subdued the enemy, returns in triumph, and all being finished, makes a surrender of his place. Thus CHRIST, having discharged all his offices imposed on him, now the work is finished, leaves his function, by de­livering up his commissions to his Father.

            CHRIST is said to deliver up the kingdom. 1. Because he ceases to execute that authority, which nevertheless he has; as a judge, that goes from the bench, is a judge still, although he gives no judgment, but em­ployeth his time about other affairs. 2. Because the manner of his kingdom, after the judgment-day, shall be wholly changed. For there is no need in heaven of good laws to keep men from declining into wickedness; and therefore the orders of this life are changed into a new kind of government, and in that respect he is said to give up the kingdom. 3. He presents-unto his Father, not only his offices, but CHRIST himself is presented, and sub­jected unto God. CHRIST is considered either as GOD, or as man, and as Mediator between GOD and man. CHRIST, as GOD, path us subject to him, and is subject to none; but CHRIST, as man and Mediator, is subject to his Father together with us.

            In the same way as CHRIST delivers up the kingdom to the Father, is CHRIST to be subject, to his Father; but’CHRIST delivers up his kingdom as man, and as Mediator between GOD and man; in these respects CHRIST, (as we have heard,) must reign no more. At that day his mediatorship shall cease, and by consequence, in respect of his mediatorship, or in respect of his humanity, he shall then be subject to his. Father. Now it is GOD reigns over us, but only by CHRIST as Mediator. GOD’s imme­diate reign we discern not so clearly for the present, but when the end shall come, and CHRIST shall resign his office of mediatorship, then shall the glory of CHRIST's divinity appear more eminently, not only above all crea­tures, but above the brightness of CHRIST's humanity itself;

and in this respect CHRIST shall then be subject, if not by a new subjection, so as never was before.

            O my soul, where wilt you stand? Or what wilt you say, when CHRIST shall take thee by the hand, and bring thee into the presence of his glorious Father; when he shall present thee, and present all his commissions which he received for thee, and present himself unto his Father with thee and all saints, saying, "O my Father, here we are all before thy glorious Godhead; welcome me, and welcome mine, we all stand here before thy glorious throne, and expect every way as high an entertainment as heaven, or the GOD of heaven, can afford."

SECT. 9:

Of CHRIST's Subjection to the Father, that God may be all in all.

            CHRIST therefore subjects himself unto his Father, that GOD himself might be all in all; here we enjoy GOD by means, as in the use of the word and sacraments; but when that kingdom (where these administrations are made use of,) shall be delivered up, then shall GOD him­self be all in all, without means, without defect, without end. In prosecution of this, I shall discuss; 1. The meaning, what it is for GOD to be all in all; 2. The particulars, wherein more especially is GOD all in all.

            1. For they meaning: it is a periphrasis of our complete enjoyment of God: that GOD may be all in all, is as much as to say, that we may enjoy GOD alone to all intents and purposes, neither wanting nor willing any thing besides himself; thus GOD is to the saints in glory, he is their exceeding great reward. They need nothing besides himself; their draughts of happiness are taken in immediately from the fountain, arid they have as much of the fountain as their souls in their widest capacity can possibly hold.

            2. For the particulars, wherein more especially is GOD our all in all. I answer:

            (I.) In our enjoying God immediately; here we enjoy GOD by means; either he communicates himself unto us through his creatures, or through his ordinances; and hence it' is, that we know him but in part, we see him but in a glass darkly; but when he shall be our all in all, we shall see him face to face; we shall then see GOD as he is, clearly and immediately.

            (2.) It consists in our enjoying GOD fully. "Now I know in part, (says the apostle,) but then I shall know, even as I am known." Our enjoyment of GOD here is but in its infancy; there it will be in its full age. Here it is in drops; there it will be in the ocean. Here we see the back parts, and we can see no more, but there we shall see his face, not his second face, (as some distin­guish,) which is his grace and favor enjoyed by faith, but his first face, which is his Divine essence, enjoyed by sight.

            (3.) It consists in our enjoying GOD solely. Not as if there were nothing else in heaven but only God; but that GOD in heaven shall be all in all, and instead of all. It is GOD in heaven that makes heaven to be heaven. The saints' blessedness, and GOD’s own blessedness, consist in the enjoyment of GOD himself: we shall not properly enjoy any thing else but God. And indeed what can we imagine to be in heaven which is not eminently in GOD himself? If it be greatness, power, glory, victory, or majesty, all these are his: if it be joy, love, peace, or beauty, or any thing amiable or desirable, all these are in him. It is he only that fills the whole capacity of the soul; it is he that so fills it that it can hold no more; it is he only that is the object of love, and therefore he only is properly enjoyed, he only is possessed with full content as portion enough, and as reward enough for the soul for ever.

            But shall not the saints have to do with something else in heaven? O yes! I believe there shall be in heaven a communion of the blessed spirits in GOD, an association of the saints and angels of God. Yet this shall not take away the sole enjoyment of GOD, that he should not be their all in all. For they shall not mind themselves or their own good or created things, but all together in God. They shall not love them or one another as for them­selves, but only for God. Here we love GOD for himself, and it is gracious love; but there we shall love ourselves for GOD, which is also a gracious love. This is to enjoy GOD solely, and in this respect he is all, and in all; a Whom have I hi heaven but thee?"

SECT. 10:

Of CHRIST's (notwithstanding this,) being all in all to his Redeemed, to all Eternity.

            Some may object, if GOD be all in all, what then be­comes of CHRIST? Is not this derogatory to JESUS CHRIST? I answer no, in no wise; for,­

            1. It is not the Father personally and only, but the Deity essentially and wholly, that is our all in all; when we say GOD is all in all, we do not exclude the Son and the Holy Ghost, for the whole Godhead is all in all to the saints, as well as the first Person in the Trinity. The Father is all, the Son is all, the Holy Ghost is all; and in that CHRIST is GOD, and the Son of GOD, we may say of CHRIST, that he is all in all: only the truth of this position is not from the human nature, but from the Divine nature of JESUS CHRIST.

            2. It is not derogatory to CHRIST, but rather it does exceedingly advance CHRIST in the thoughts of all his saints. While it was necessary, CHRIST veiled his Deity; and when his work of mediation is fully finished, CHRIST then shall reveal his Deity to his saints more than ever before. It is true, that GOD only, and GOD fully, and GOD immediately, is all in all; but does that hinder that JESUS CHRIST is not also only, fully, and immediately all in all? See how the Scripture joins them together, “I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord GOD Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it, and the city had no need of the sun] neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of GOD does lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

            Now then, as I have spoken of GOD, so that I may speak of CHRIST, and conclude all with CHRIST, I assert this doctrine, " that the glory of CHRIST which the saints shall behold in CHRIST to all eternity, is their all in all." In the discussion of which I shall open these particulars: 1. What is the glory of CHRIST? 2. How the saints shall behold his glory. 3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression, that the beholding of CHRIST is our all in all.

            I. What is the glory of CHRIST? I answer, that the glory of CHRIST is either,-1. A human glory, which in time was more especially conferred upon his manhood. 2. There is an essential or Divine glory, which before time and after time, even from everlasting to everlasting, issueth from the Godhead; I shall speak to both these, that we may rather take a view of CHRIST in these glories, (as we are able,) wherein he will appear to his saints to all eternity.

            1. For his human glory. This is either in regard of his soul or body. For his soul, CHRIST was, from the first instant of his conception, full of glory, because then he received grace, not by measure. It is true that by the special dispensation of GOD, the fullness of glory was withheld in the time of his passion, and the redundancy of his soul into his body was totally deferred until the exaltation of CHRIST; but CHRIST was no sooner exalted, and set on the right hand of GOD, but immediately, the interruption of joy in his soul, and the interception of glory from his soul to his body was altogether removed. Then it was that his soul was filled with all joy which could possibly flow from the sight of an object so in­finitely pleasing, as is the essence, majesty, and glory of God. And then it was that his body was replenished with as much glory as- was proportionable unto the most vast capacity of any creature. Surely CHRIST's manhood is exalted unto an higher degree of glory than the most glorious-saint or angel ever was, or shall be; principalities, powers, mights, and dominions fall short of his glory.

            2. For his essential, divine glory, it is that glory which CHRIST has as God. This he never laid aside, but as the sun in a dark gloomy day may riot send forth his beams, so CHRIST the Sun of Righteousness in. the time of his abode upon earth, (except a little glimpse only in his transfiguration,) did not send forth his glorious beams; but hereafter the body or humanity of CHRIST shall not hinder the breaking forth of all his divine glory. But what is the essential glory of CHRIST? I cannot answer, it is a question not to be resolved by all the men in the world; we know little of the glory of saints, how should we know any thing of the essential glory of CHRIST as God? But how shall the saints behold this glory? I answer, as CHRIST has a two-fold glory, so there is a two-fold manner of beholding it, that is, ocular and mental. (I.) There is an ocular vision, a sight of CHRIST with our very eyes, °C Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold him;" with these eyes in our heads we shall one day behold the human glory of CHRIST; I doubt not we shall behold the beauty of heaven, the shining bodies of the saints, but above all, our very eyes shall delightfully contemplate CHRIST's glorious body; and indeed this shall drown all other sights. (2.) There is a mental vision, a sight of CHRIST by the eyes of our under­standings. And. surely this exceeds the former, the eye of the body is only on the body of CHRIST, but the eye of the soul is on the body and soul, on the humanity and Deity of JESUS CHRIST. This is the very top of heaven, when saints shall be enlightened with a clear and glorious sight of CHRIST as God; divines usually call it The beatific vision.

            3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression, that the beholding of CHRIST is our all in all? I answer, (l.) It comprehends the immediate seeing and looking upon all that majesty and glory which JESUS CHRIST has. (2.) It comprehends the enjoyment of CHRIST in his glory.  Surely the saints shall not be mere idle spectators of the glory of CHRIST, but they shall enjoy him, and be taken into fellowship with him. It was said of Moses, that he did see the land of Canaan; but he was not admitted into it. It is otherwise with the saints, they shall see heaven, and they shall enter into heaven; " Come, you faithful servant, and enter into thy Master's joy." Not only be­hold it, but enter into it. They must behold CHRIST, and take possession of. CHRIST, and enjoy him as their own. In this respect more especially is CHRIST our all in all. He is all in himself, and if we enjoy him, he is all in all

unto us.

CHAP. 2:

SECT. 1: Of knowing JESUS as carrying on the great Work
of our Salvation in his Second Coming.

            LET us know JESUS, carrying on the saints' salvation in his second coming, and taking them to heaven. Many excellent things are in this transaction. Is it not of high concernment that he who now sits at GOD’s right hand_ interceding for us, should thence come again to judge the world, and after judgment take up the saints with him into glory? Cast thyself at the feet of CHRIST, and cry out, °L O the depth of glory and majesty, and goodness, and grace in thee! O the riches of love, that you shouldst let out thyself in these admirable dispensations!" Come, be exact in this study; gather up all the crumbs and filings of this gold. For the least beam of the glory of CHRIST (especially as it will shine and glitter at his second coming) has so much light, and love, and splen­dour in every part, that this knowledge will be of especial use and worth; yea the low and imperfect knowledge of this mystery is of infinitely more value than the high and perfect knowledge of ten thousand things besides.

SECT. 2:

Of considering JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us consider JESUS, carrying on this great work of our salvation in his second coming. It is not enough to know, but we must meditate and seriously consider of it. When the understanding works seriously and spiritually, it will fetch things into sight, hold them there, and fasten upon them; so a man eyes CHRIST, till he have more of CHRIST, more of his presence, of his light, of his favor, and of his image. O let this be our work; let us con­sider JESUS in reference to his second coming to judgment. And that we may do it in order­:

            I. Consider CHRIST's preparing for judgment; realize it, as if you rawest or heardest the same. No sooner is the time determined come which GOD has appointed, but CHRIST commands, " Make ready ye angels and souls that now are with me; it is the Father's pleasure, and it is my pleasure, to go down into the nether world, and to call before me all the persons that ever lived in it. There will I pass my doom upon all flesh, and reward every one according to his works." O what a shout may I imagine in heaven at this news! What joy is in the souls of saints, that now they must go to their bodies, and enter into them, that both their souls and bodies, which some­times lived together, may now dwell together with CHRIST in glory, and never part more! If those that live on earth are commanded by CHRIST, "To lift up their heads, because their redemption draweth nigh;" how much more shall they joy in heaven, who also’ have "waited for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of their bodies," that now the long-looked for day is come. It is come! O the exultation of the angels at these tidings!

            2. Consider CHRIST's coming to judgment; all now in readiness, the Son of GOD comes forth with all his glo­rious attendants; " For the Son of man shall come forth in the glory of his Father with his angels," and with the souls of saints, that for a time have been in paradise. O what a goodly sight is here! In this meditation I may see with John, " The New Jerusalem coming down from GOD out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Down comes CHRIST, and the angels, and spirits of the just made perfect. And-as they come along, see how they shake the heavens, and obscure and darken the very lights of heaven. See what a flood of fire goes before them. See how they pass into the cloud where CHRIST makes a stand, and erects a throne for himself to sit on. Sure it will be a glorious cloud, when CHRIST with all his celestial servants shall sit upon it.

            3. Consider CHRIST and the saints judging the rest of the world. No sooner are the saints sentenced, but CHRIST turns to the wicked, and bids them " go into everlasting fire;" in which sentence, the saints shall join with CHRIST himself, " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" When the saints appear, it is not only by a summons, but with commission; not only to be judged, but to judge; not only shall they stand at CHRIST's right hand, but they shall sit down on the throne of the Son of GOD, to judge the wicked angels and the world.

            4. Consider CHRIST and his saints going up into heaven. No sooner has he done his work with the world, and sent them away, but he shall go with all his troops following him into heaven. has not CHRIST said so? " If I go away, t will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." O those songs of joy and shouts of praise, that will fill the world at that day! and thus as they go along, heaven opens unto them, and they enter in. What welcomes they have here is past my telling.

            (I.) It is " the day of adoption, and the redemption of our bodies." It is the day of our Sonship and deliver­ance; I deny not that the saints are adopted and redeemed before this day; but this adoption and redemption is not consummate before CHRIST come again to judgment, then shall CHRIST say, " These are my sons whom I have re­deemed, and as I have set them free, so now shall they live and reign with me for ever and ever."

            (2) It is the day of CHRIST's coming. He was here not long since, traveling about the earth, and about our busi­ness; which done, he went away to heaven, upon a special errand for his saints; and there now he is to inter­cede for them, to be their Advocate; and withal there now he is to prepare them mansions for eternity. And no sooner shall he have despatched his business there, but he will come to earth again. He will bow the heavens, and come down, to give a report of his transactions there. has he not left us a letter to that effect, " I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also?" O why are his chariots so long a coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

            (3.) It is the day of CHRIST's bright and glorious ap­pearing. When he was upon the earth, he appeared in our dress. Many then saw him, who said, " There is no beauty in him, that we should desire him." O! it was a sad sight to see him crowned with thorns, and scourged with whips, and nailed to the cross? But in his next appearing we shall see hire in his best attire, arrayed in white, attended with the retinue of glory, riding in his chariot of light, and smiling upon all his saints. Now is not this desirable? The apostle tells us of the saints, " looking for the glorious appearing of the great GOD, and of our Savior JESUS CHRIST;" therefore surely they desire it.

            (4.) It is the marriage day of the Lamb. The saints are betrothed to CHRIST, when first they believe in CHRIST. That is CHRIST's word, " I will betroth thee unto me, my sister, my spouse," not my wife; you art not yet married, only contracted here. But, at that day the marriage of the Lamb will be complete, and then will the voice be heard; " Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready." O the joy that CHRIST, and saints and angels, and all that belong to heaven, will feel and manifest at this marriage! " Blessed are they that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb."

             (5.) It is the day of CHRIST's glory. What glorious descriptions have we in Scripture of CHRIST's coming to judgment? " The Son of Man shall come from heaven with power and great glory;" and his work is' no sooner done, but he shall return again into heaven with power and great glory. Not to mention the essential glory of CHRIST, O the glory of CHRIST as Mediator; all the glory that Ahasuerus could put upon his favorites, was nothing to this spiritual and heavenly glory, which the Father will put upon the Son. It is a glory above, all the glories that ever were, or ever shall be: it is an eternal glory. Not but that CHRIST shall at last give up his kingdom to his Father: he shall no more discharge the offices of an Advo­cate and Intercessor for us in heaven; but the glory of this shall always continue: it shall, to all eternity, be recorded that he was the Mediator, and that he is the Savior that has brought us to life and immortality, and upon this ground, the tongues of all the saints shall be employed to all eternity, to celebrate this glory. This will be their everlasting song: " Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto GOD and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen!" O what desire should the Spirit and the bride have to hear what CHRIST shall say to his angels, " Make ready for the journey, let us go down and divide the skies, and -bow the heavens; I gather my prisoners of hope unto me, behold I come quickly to judge the nations!" I conclude this with the conclusion of the Bible, "He that testifeth these things, says, Surely I come quickly, Amen! Even so: come, Lord JESUS."

SECT. 3:

Of hoping in JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us hope in JESUS, as carrying on the great work of our salvation, in his second coming; let us say, on certain grounds, " We hope CHRIST will come again, and receive us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also." Such an hope is a sure anchor, that will hold the ship in a storm; only because our souls he upon it, we had need to look to it, that our hopes be true; the worst can say, " They hope to be saved as well as the best;" but the hopes of many will be lamentably frustrated. To clear this point, that our hopes are right, and not counterfeit hopes, I shall lay down some signs, whereby we may know that CHRIST's coming is for us, and for our good, and for the grace that is to be given us at the revelation of JESUS CHRIST.

            1. If we are born again, then will his glorious coming be to glorify us; " Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, who according to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again unto a lively hope, to an inherit­ance incorruptible." Come, then, you that hope for glory, try yourselves; is there a change in your hearts, words, and lives? Is there a mighty work of grace upon your spirits? Are you experienced in the great mystery of regeneration? Why here is your evidence, that your hopes are sound, and that you shall sit upon thrones to judge the world.

            2. If we long for his coming, then will he come to satisfy our longings. “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst, for they shall be satisfied;" how satisfied, but in being saved? " CHRIST was offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without sin to salvation." Unto them that look for him, or long for him, shall he appear the second time unto salvation; this looking for CHRIST is in Scripture a frequent description of a true believer in CHRIST. Who are sound Christians, but such, as live in a perpetual desire and hope of CHRIST's blessed coming? They are ever "looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. Here are two signs in one verse, " `ooking for, and hasting unto:" true believers are not fifthly in a posture of looking for the coming of JESUS CHRIST; but also, as it were, going forth to meet JESUS CHRIST with burning lamps. Dost you look and long for the coming of CHRIST in the clouds? These are firm grounds of an assured hope. Content not thyself with an hope of possibility or probability; but reach out to that plerophory, or " full assurance of hope." The hope of possibility is but a weak hope, the hope of probability is but a fluctuating hope, but the hope of certainty is a settled hope. Such an hope sweetens all the thoughts of GOD and CHRIST, or death and judgment, of heaven, yea, and of hell too, whilst we hope that we are saved from it. And are not the Scriptures written for this very pur­pose, "That we might have this hope?" We are justified by his grace, " that we might be heirs in hope, heirs according to the hope of eternal life."' And was not this David's confidence, " Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation?" Why then " art you cast down, O my soul And why art you disquieted within me? Hope you in GOD, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God..

SECT. 4:

Of believing in JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us believe in JESUS, as carrying on the great work of our salvation, in his second coming. Go to CHRIST, as coming again into this nether world, to judge the quick and the dead. This is the last act of faith, in reference to CHRIST; " From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead." The coming of CHRIST, the resur­rection of the dead, the change of the living, the last judgment, and the glory of CHRIST with his saints to all eternity, is that transaction which must be despatched at the end of the world; now this is the object of faith, as well as the former. CHRIST's work is not fully perfected, till all these be finished; nor is our work of faith, fully completed, fill it reach to the very last act of CHRIST in saving souls. O what an excellent worker is JESUS CHRIST! He does all his works thoroughly and perfectly. The greatest work that ever CHRIST undertook was the work of redemption; that work would have broken men and

angels, ’and yet JESUS CHRIST will carry it on to the end; and then will he say, not only prophetically, but expressly, “I have finished the work which you gayest me to do."

            Faith must principally and mainly look to the design and end of CHRIST in his second coming. Now the ends are,

            1. In respect of the wicked, that they may be de­stroyed; for " He must reign till he has put all his ene­mies under his feet." He shall come with flaming fire, and then he will " take vengeance on them that know not GOD, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord JESUS CHRIST; who shall be punished with everlasting destruc­tion from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." O the fearful sounds that will then be heard! sure that noise must needs be terrible, when mil­lions of men and women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out, and when their cries shall mingle with the thun­ders of the dying and groaning heavens, and with the crack of the dissolving world, when the whole fabric of nature shall shake into dissolution, and eternal ashes. " Now consider this, ye that forget GOD, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you."

            2. In respect of the godly that they may be saved, that they may see and enjoy CHRIST to all eternity. This is a main end of CHRIST's coming, " I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.-And Father, I will that those whom you has given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold the glory which you has given me."

            3. In respect of CHRIST himself, that he may be glorified. Now in two things more especially will he be glorified at that day: in his justice, and in his mercy. (1.) His justice will be glorified, especially in punishing the wicked; on earth,, little justice is done on most offenders; though some public crimes are sometimes punished, yet the actions of closets and chambers, the designs and thoughts of men, the businesses of retirements, and of the night, escape the hand of justice; and therefore GOD has so ordained it, that there shall be a day, wherein all that are let alone by men, shall be questioned by God; then all thoughts shall be examined, and secret actions viewed on each side, and the infinite number of those sins which escaped here, shall be blazoned there. O how will GOD glorify his justice at that day? Surely his justice shall shine, and be eminently glorious in every passage. (2.) His mercy will be glorified in rewarding the saints. And this is the main, the supreme end of his coming to judgment; " He shall come," says the apostle, " to be glorified in his saints;" not but that the angels shall glorify the riches of his grace, as well as saints; but because the angels never sinned, the glory of his grace is more espe­cially fastened on saints, "bat some time were sinners is not this their everlasting song, which they begin at this day? " Glory to the Lamb, and glory to his grace, that sitteth on the throne for evermore?"

            Thus for directions: I add a word of application, or a few motives to work faith in you in this respect.

            1. CHRIST in his word invites you to believe; these are his letters from heaven, "Come all to the marriage-supper of the Lamb, Ho, every one that thirstetb, come in." Heaven's gate is open to all that knock, except fools, foolish virgins, foolish souls, who have no faith, nor will have any, to render them fit for heaven. There is Rahab the harlot, and Manasseh the murderer, and Mary that had so many devils. A man that has many devils may come where there is not one: ah poor soul, why dost you make exceptions, where GOD makes none? Why shouldst you exclude thyself out of these golden gates, when GOD does not? Believe, only believe in the Lord JESUS, and the promise is sure, and without all contro­versy, you shall be saved.

            2. CHRIST by his ministry entreats you to believe. Come, say they, we beseech you believe in your judge! it may be you startle at this. What? To believe in him who is coming to be your judge? But if your judge be JESUS, if the same person who died for you, shall come to judge you, why should you fear? Indeed if your judge were your enemy, you might fear; but if he who is your Lord, and who loves your souls, shall judge you, there is no such cause; will a man fear to be judged by his dearest friend? A brother by a brother? A child by a father-? Or a wife by her husband? Consider! is not he your judge who came down from heaven, and who being on earth was judged, condemned, and exe­cuted in your stead? And yet are ye fearful, " O ye of little faith?"      '

            3. CHRIST by his Spirit moves, excites, and provokes you to believe. Sometimes in reading, and sometimes in hearing, and sometimes in meditating, you may feel him stir. Have you felt no gale of the Spirit all this while? « It is the Spirit that convinces the world of sin," espe­cially of that great sin of unbelief; and then of righteous­ness, which CHRIST procured by going to his Father. Observe here, it is the work of the Spirit thus to con­vince, so that all moral philosophy, and the wisest direc­tions of the most civil men, will leave you in a wilderness; yea, ten thousands of sermons may be preached to you to believe, and yet you never will, till you are assisted by GOD’s Spirit. It is the Spirit that enlightens and directs you, as occasion is, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." It is the Spirit that rouses and awakeneth you by the effectual motions, "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. He stands at the door, and knocks:" if whilst I press you to believe in JESUS, you feel the Spirit in his stirrings, surely it concerns you to believe, it concerns you to yield, it concerns you to co-operate with the Spirit; say with him in the gospel, " I believe, Lord, help my unbelief: I believe, what? I believe when JESUS comes again, he will receive me to himself, and I shall be for ever with the Lord. Amen, Amen!"

SECT. 5:

Of loving JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us love JESUS, as carrying on the great work of. our salvation in his second coming. In prosecution of this; I must first set down CHRIST's love to us, and then speak of our love to CHRIST.-1. CHRIST will come. Is not this love? As his departure was a rich testimony of his love; "It is expedient for you that I go away;" so is his returning, " I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you." O how can we think of CHRIST's re­turning, and not meditate on the greatness of his love Might he, not send his angels, but he must come himself? O the love of CHRIST in this one act, he will come again; he is but gone for awhile; but he will come again in his own person. 2. CHRIST will welcome all his saints into his presence; and is not this love? After he is come down from heaven, he stays awhile in the clouds; and commanding his angels to bring them thither, anon they cone; and O how his heart springs within him at their Corning! 3. CHRIST will sentence his saints to eternal life; here is love indeed! every word of the sentence is full of love; it contains the reward of his saints, a reward beyond their work, and beyond their wages, and beyond their promise, and beyond their thoughts, and beyond their understanding; it is a participation of the joys of GOD, and of the inheritance of the Judge himself. Never was more love expressed in words, than CHRIST expresseth in this sentence, " Come, ye blessed," &c. 4. CHRIST will take up all his saints with him into glory; where he will present them to his Father, and then be their all in all to all eternity. This is the height of CHRIST's love; this is the immediate love that comes out from the precious heart and bowels of JESUS CHRIST. 5. And if CHRIST love thus, how should we love again for such a love? Can we love as high, as deep, as broad, as long as love itself, or as CHRIST himself? No, no; all we can do is but to love a little; and O that in the consideration of his love, we could love a little in sin­cerity! O that we were but able feelingly to say, "Lord, I love thee, I feel I love thee, even as I feel I love my friend, or as I feel I love myself.. O you who art the Element or Sum of Love, conic with thy power, let out one beam, one ray, one gleam of love upon my soul, shine hot upon my heart, remember thy promise to cir­cumcise my heart, that I may love the Lord my GOD with all my heart, and smith all my soul!"

SECT. VI

Of joying in JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us joy in JESUS, as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his second coming. CHRIST delights to have his people look upon him with delight; for a soul to be always under the spirit of bondage, and so to look upon CHRIST as a judge, a lion, or an offended GOD, it does not please God. The Lord JESUS is tender of the joy of his saints, " Rejoice, and be exceeding glad," says CHRIST; "Rejoice evermore; rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say, rejoice. Let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before GOD, yea, let them exceedingly re­joice." All that CHRIST does to his saints tends to this joy, as the upshot or end of all; if he cast down, it is but to raise them up; if he humble; it is but to exalt; if he kill, it is but to make alive; in every dispensation still he has a tender care to preserve their joy. If you find it an bard thing to joy in JESUS, in reference to his second coming, think of these motives,­].

            CHRIST's coming is the Christian's encouragement; so CHRIST himself lays it down, "You shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory; and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." The signs of his coming are the hopes of your approaching glory, and what should we do then, but prepare for it with exceeding joy? Many evils now sur­round you every where; SATAN has his snares, and the world its baits, and your own hearts are apt to betray you into your enemies' hands; but when CHRIST comes, you shall have-full deliverance, and perfect redemption; and therefore "look up, and lift up your heads." The apostle speaks the very same encouragement. " The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of GOD, and the dead in CHRIST shall rise first; then we who are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air wherefore comfort one another with these words."

            2. CHRIST will lead us into glory. As the bridegroom, after nuptials, leads his bride to his own home, that there they may live together; so CHRIST, our royal Bride­groom, will lead us into the palace of his glory. And is not this joy of our Lord enough to cause our joy? O! what welcomes shall we have in this city? There shall we see CHRIST in his garden, there shall we be set as a seal on CHRIST's arm, and as a seal upon his heart; there shall we be filled with his love, enlightened with his light, encircled in his arms, following his steps, and praising his name, and admiring his glory; there shall we joy indeed, " For in thy presence there isfulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore."

SECT. 8:

Of calling on JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us call on JESUS, as carrying on our soul's salvation at his second coming. L Let us pray for the coming of CHRIST; this was the constant prayer of the church, "Come, Lord JESUS, come quickly." "The Spirit and the bride say, come." Well knows the bride that the day of CHRIST's coming is her wedding-day, the day of presenting her to his Father, and therefore no wonder if she pray for the hastening of it; " Make haste, my Be­loved, and be you like to a roe, or to a young hart. Thy kingdom come." 2. Let us praise him for his coming. Our engagement to CHRIST is so great, that we can never enough extol his name; at that day the books shall be opened, and why not the book of our engage­ments to JESUS CHRIST? I can surely tell you it is written full; the page and margin, both within and without. O then let our hearts be full of praises! let us join with those blessed elders that fell down before the Lamb, and sung, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor and glory, and blessing."

SECT. VIII.

Of conforming to JESUS in that Respect.

            Let us conform to JESUS, as coming again to judge the world. Looking to JESUS contains this. When the apostle would persuade Christians to patience under the cross, he lays down first the cloud of witnesses, all the martyrs of the church of CHRIST; and, secondly, JESUS CHRIST himself who is of more virtue than all the rest. But how should we conform to CHRIST in this respect? I answer,­

            1. CHRIST will prepare for judgment. O! let us at all times prepare for his judging of us; does it not concern uss to prepare for him, as well as it concerns him to pre­pare for us? If CHRIST come, and find us careless, neg­ligent, unprepared, what will become of us? The very thought of CHRIST's sudden coming to judgment, might well put_ us into a waiting, watching posture, that we might be still in readiness. It cannot be long, and alas, what is a little time when it is gone! Is it not high time then to prepare our lamps, to trim our souls, to watch, and fast, and pray, and meditate, and to remember that for all our deeds, good or evil, GOD will bring us to judgment? O! let us, against his coming, prepare for him!

            2. CHRIST, at his coming, will summon all his. saints to arise, and to come to him in the clouds. Let us summon our souls to arise, and to go to CHRIST in the heavens. What CHRIST will do really at that day, let us do spiritually on this day. Alas! we had need to be continually stirring up the gifts and graces that are in us. It is the Lord's pleasure that we should daily come to him, he would have us on the wing of prayer, and on the wing of meditation, and on the wing of faith; he would have us to be still arising, mounting up in Divine contemplation to his Majesty.

            3. CHRIST will at the last judge all our souls, and judge all the wicked to eternal flames; O let us judge ourselves that we may not be judged of the Lord: but in what manner should we judge ourselves? I answer:-(1.) We must search out our sins. "Winnow yourselves, O people, not worthy to be beloved." There should be a strict scrutiny, to find out all the profaneness of our hearts and lives, all our sins against light, and love, and checks, and vows: "Winnow yourselves!" If you will not, I pronounce to you from the eternal GOD, that ere long the Lord will come in the clouds, and then will he open the book wherein all your sins are written. He will search Jerusalem with candles. He will come with a sword in his hand, to search out all secure sinners every where, and then will all your sins be discovered to all the world. (2.) We must confess our sins before the Lord; we must spread them before the Lord, as Hezekiah did his letter; only in our confessions, observe these rules; as, 1. Our confession must be full of sorrow, " I will declare my iniquity, (says David,) I will be sorry for my sin." 2. Our confession must be a full confession; we must pour it out. Thus David styles one of his psalms, "A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord." We must pour out our complaints, as a man pours water out of a vessel. " Arise, cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches, pour out thine heart like water, before the face of the Lord." Water runs out of a vessel, when you turn the mouth downward, never a spoonful will stay behind; so should we pour out our hearts before GOD, and, (if it were possible,) leave not a sin unconfessed, at least for the kinds, if not for the particular sins.. 3. Our confession must be with full aggravation; we should aggravate our sins by all the circumstances, that we may show them odious; O my sins were out of measure sinful! They were sins against knowledge, and light, against many mercies received, against, many judgments threatened, against many checks of conscience, against many vows and promises: thus oft, and in this place, and at that time, and in that manner, I committed these and these sins. But, of all the aggra­vations, let us be sure to remember how we sinned against the goodness, and patience, and love, and mercy of God; surely these circumstances will make our sins out of mea­sure sinful. Say,, " O my GOD, you art my Father; was I ever in want, and you didst not relieve me? Was I ever in weakness, and you didst not strengthen me? Was I ever in straits, and you didst not deliver me? Was I ever in sickness, and you didst not cure me? Was I ever in misery, and you didst not succor me? Have thou

not been a gracious GOD to me? All my bones can say, who is like unto thee; Lord, who is like unto thee? And shall I thus and thus reward the Lord for all his mercies towards me? Hear, O heavens, and hearken, O earth; sun stand you still, and you moon be you amazed at this! hear angels, and hear devils; hear heaven, and hear hell, and be you avenged on such a sin as this is!"  4. We must condemn ourselves, or pass sentence against our souls; "Lord, the worst place in hell is too good for me; Lord, here is my soul, you may, if you pleasest, send SATAN for it, and give me a portion among the damned. 5. W e must plead pardon, and cry mightily to GOD in CHRIST, for the remission of all our sins. This is the way of judging ourselves; we see nothing but hell and damnation in ourselves; but then we throw ourselves down at GOD’s gate of mercy. We despair not in GOD, though in ourselves. GOD in CHRIST is gracious and mer­ciful, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; and hence we make bold to entreat the Lord, for CHRIST's sake, to be merciful to us. " Lord, pardon, Lord, forgive, for thy name's sake, promise sake, mercy's sake, and for the Lord JESUS' sake: O let free grace have its work; Lord, glorify thy name, and glorify the riches of thy grace in saving us."

            4. CHRIST, at his coming, will be glorified in his saints; not only in himself, but in his saints also; whose glory, as it comes from him, so it will redound to him. O let him now be glorified in us, let us now in some high way conform to the image of his glory, let us look on CHRIST till we are like CHRIST, not only in grace but in glory; and this glory, as it comes from him, so let it redound to him. Let us so " behold the glory of the Lord in the glass of the gospel, as that we may be changed into the same image from glory to glory;" from a lesser measure to an higher measure of glory.

            O that something of the glory of CHRIST might rest upon us! O that, having this glory in our thoughts, we could now feel a change from glory to glory! Is it so that the Lord JESUS will be glorified in all his saints? And shall we have inglorious souls; base and unworthy affections and conversations? Or shall we content our­selves with a little measure of grace? O be we holy, even as be is holy; let our conversation be heavenly, let us purify ourselves even as he is pure; let us resemble him in some high measure of grace. And, lastly, let us glorify him in bodies and spirits; all our glory is from him; and therefore let all our glory redound to him; let us now begin that gospel tune of the eternal song of free grace, which one day we shall more perfectly chant in glory: " Hallelujah! and again, hallelujah! and amen hallelujah! Salvation, and glory, and power, and praise, and thanksgiving, and obedience, be unto him that sits on the throne, and the Lamb blessed for ever and ever. Amen."

            Now all is done, shall I speak a word for CHRIST' or rather for ourselves in relation to CHRIST; if I had but one word more to speak in the world, it should be this? O let all our spirits be taken up with CHRIST! Surely CHRIST is enough to fill all our thoughts, desires, hopes, loves, joys, or whatever is within us or without us. CHRIST alone comprehends all the circumference of all our happiness. O the worth of CHRIST! compare we other things with him, and they will bear no weight at all; cast into the balance with him angels, they are wise, but he is wisdom; cast into the balance with him men, they are liars, lighter than vanity, but CHRIST is the Amen, the faithful Witness;" cast into the scales kings, and all kings, and all their glory; cast in two worlds, and add to the weight millions of heavens of heavens, and the balance cannot go down, the scales are unequal, CHRIST outweighs all. Shall I yet come nearer home?. What is heaven, but to be with CHRIST; what is lice eternal, but to believe in GOD, and in his Son JESUS CHRIST? Where may we find peace with GOD, and re­conciliation with GOD, but only in CHRIST; all the goodness of GOD comes out of GOD through this golden pipe, the Lord, JESUS CHRIST. It is true, those essential attributes of love, grace, mercy, and goodness, are only in GOD, and they abide in GOD, yet the mediatory manifestation of love, grace, mercy, and goodness, is only in CHRIST. CHRIST alone is the treasury, store-house, magazine of the free goodness and mercy of the Godhead. in him we are justified, sanctified, saved. He is " the way, the truth, and the life;" be is honor, riches, beauty, health, peace, and salvation; all the spiritual blessings where­with we are enriched are in and by CHRIST: GOD hears our prayers by CHRIST; GOD forgives our iniquities through CHRIST; all we have, and all, we have, has only on CHRIST; he is the *, all our salvation turns.

            O how should all hearts be taken with this CHRIST? Christians, turn your eyes upon the Lord; look and look again unto JESUS. Shall I speak one word more to thee that believest? Remember ho-..v he came out of his Father's bosom for thee, wept for the---, bled for thee, poured out his life for thee, sits at GOD’s right hand, and rules all the world for thee; makes intercession for thee, and at the end of the world will come again for thee, and receive thee to himself, to live with him for ever and ever. Surely, if thus you believest and livest, thy life is comfortable, and thy death will be sweet; if there be any heaven upon earth, you wilt find it in the practice and exercise of this gospel duty, in looking unto JESUS.