Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

CHAP. I.

Job 19.25, 27. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Whom I shall see for my self, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

SECT. I. Of Christ's preparing for Judgment.

AND is not yet all done? 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 hath been labouring in it about six thousand years; and now the time of restoring being come, he will perfect what he hath begun, and bring on the other end of the Golden chain; Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. In this piece 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 the 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 of the Elect to come under judgment.
• 4. Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day.
• 5. Christ's sentencing or judging the Saints for eternal glory.
• 6. Christ and the Saints judging the rest of the world.
• 7. Christ and his Saints going up into Heaven; when shall be the end of this world.
• 8. Christ surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father.
• 9. Christ's subjection to the Father, that God may be all in all.

• 10. Christ (notwithstanding this) being all in all to his blessed, saved, redeemed Saints to all eternity.

1. For his preparing for judgment. When once the number of all his Elect shall be compleated, and the work of his intercession shall be at an end, then immediately will follow these particulars. As—

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 had bespoke his Father thus. And now, O my Father, I have done; that office of the Priest-hood which by agreement we erected, is now at an end: here I have sate at thy right hand interceding for my Saints ever since my ascension; and of all that thou hast given me by thine eternal election I have not lost a Saint; in their several ages I produced them and gave them a being, and in their times I remembred them, and presented their conditions and necessities before thee; and now I have not a Saint more; in the Book of life there is not another name written to be born on earth; and to what purpose should I now continue the world? the Saints are they for whom I made the world, the Saints are they that hold forth the light of my glory in the world, the Saints are they for whom my eternal counsels before the world did work, the Saints are they for whom I was content to shed my precious blood when I was in that world be∣low; and now their number is compleated, 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 may be finished. I swear by him that lives for ever, that time shall be no longer.

2. No sooner this said, but the seventh Angel sounds. This seventh Angel (saith Pareus) is the Arch-angel 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 Arch-angel, and with the trump of God. The Lord shall descend with a shout; but before he descend, 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; if we may believe Commentaries, these are the voices of blessed souls, and blessed souls, and blessed Angels in heaven; no sooner Christ bids the Angel sound] q. d. summon those blessed souls that were slain for the Word of God, and therefore cried, How long Lord, holy and true? summon those blessed souls that have cryed so long, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly; summon all souls, and sum∣mon all Angels, and bid them wait on me, now I resolve to go down, and to judge the world:) no sooner I say Christ bids the Angel sound, but presently at the joy of this command, all the voices in Heaven give up a shout; why, this is the long-look'd for day, the day of perfecting the number of the Saints; the day of joyning the souls and bodies of the Saints together; the day of convening all the families both of Saints and Angels under one roof; the day of bringing up the Bride unto the Lamb, and of compleating the Marriage in its highest solemnity: and therefore no wonder if at this news great voices and cryes (such as are used by Mariners, or gatherers of the vintage) were made in Heaven. O what an addition of joy is this to Heavens joy it self! the spirits of the just, and the blessed Angels that have lived together in hea∣vens bliss, had never such an adventitious joy as this before; now they shout and sing a new and blessed Song, The kingdoms of this world, are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. We may call this Heavens tri∣umph for the finishing of God's mystery. Now is it that Christ will vindicate his King∣dom, and overthrow the power of his enemies; they had long set themselves against the Lord, and against his anointed; the Kings of the earth, and the Rulers confederated; they ruled all, and as much as in them lay, excluded Christ; but now the Kingdoms of the world will return to Christ, and he alone shall rule; and thence the winged Chori∣sters of Heaven chant forth this Anthem, The Kingdoms of the world are become the King∣doms of Christ.

3. After this shout, 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, w••••••h art, and wast, and are to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and h•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••ned; and the nations were angry, &c. By these four and twenty Elders we un∣•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ll Gods Saints of the Old and New Testament, comprehended under the twe•••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••riarchs, and twelve Apostles; others would have them to be only those Saints 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Old Testament, and therefore called Elders; whosoever they are, we find

they are so glad at this news, that Christ will now judge the world, that presently they rise off their seats, and fall on their faces; and first they praise, and then they pray: 1. They praise God for taking to himself his own power; Christ connived (as it were) till now at the power of his enemies; Antichrist, and not Christ seemed to rule, and to sit in the Temple of God; but now Christ is resolved to rule himself, and to make all his enemies his footstool: and therfore now We give thee thinks, O Lord God Almighty, 2. They pray Christ to go on to judgment. 1. Because the nations were angry, q. d. they have been angry long enough, they have set themselves against Christ and against his Church, and therefore now it is time to bridle their wrath, and to break them with a rod of Iron, O let thy wrath come. 2. Because the time of judgment is now accom∣plished which God had decreed in his eternal counsel, and which the Father had put in his own power; This time was not for mortals to know, but now 'twas revealed to these celestial spirits by Christ, and therefore they beg, Go on Lord Jesus; reward now thy Ser∣vants, Prophets, Saints; and destroy them which destroyed the earth.

4. God the Father is well pleased with Christ's purpose of judging the world. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. I know these words were spoke to Christ at his ascension into Heaven, yet that hinders not but that now God speaks them again to Christ; for as yet (saith 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. Nay, why not these words spoken now rather than before? Christ indeed reigned as King ever since his Ascension, but now more especially he is to manifest his Kingdom, for now is he to judge among the heathen, now is he to wound the heads of many countries, now is he to overthrow Pope, Turk, and all his enemies, and he alone with the Father and the Spirit is to reign in his Elect Saints and Angels. Thus all agree, that Christ in the latter dayes shall be fully ho∣noured in his Kingly power; hitherto Christ hath been much honoured in his Prophetical and Priestly office, but not so much in his Kingly; but now he must be fully honoured in his Kingly office; now especially The Kingdoms of this world must become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ; and so he shall reign for ever and ever. Certainly there is a difference betwixt Christ's reign before, and his present reign at the day of judg∣ment, Christ hath a double Throne wherein he sits and reigns, To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and am set down with my Fa∣ther in his throne. That Kingly rule that Christ hath from his ascension is upon his Fathers Throne, but the Kingdom that Christ shall have at the day of judgment and ever after, it is the joynt reign of him with the Father, he shall have a Throne him∣self, and the Saints shall sit with him in his own Throne: And now saith the Father, Sit thou at my right hand, q. d. 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 thou judge them, until thou hast rewarded thy friends, and made thine enemies thy footstool. Mark, He hath committed all judgment unto the Son; the Father gives the Son a Commission; wherein is written (as it were) these words, My Son, now is the time or season which I had put in my own power; and my pleasure is, that all the world shall be set on fire: these heavens under thee shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up; and I will have new heavens, and a new earth, where∣in shall dwell righteousness; go too then, put on thy robes, appear in thy glory; empty thi•• heaven of all those glorious spirits that are therein, and let them wait on thee to thy judgment seat; go, pass thy doom upon all flesh, and send reprobates to hell, and bring up hither all thy Saints, that they may live with thee, and here behold thy glory for ever and ever. Lo here is thy commission; be gone, and return no more hither until it be accom∣plished.

Christians, I cannot but wonder at this joy and exultation in Heaven, and that we have so little or none 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 rejoyce at the very thoughts here∣of? Christ comforting his Disciples in respect hereof, he speaks these words, When these things begin to come to pass, then look up (said he) and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. The fulness of our redemption is a ground of consolation; all the spirits above are sensible of this; God, and Christ, and the Angels, and Saints

rejoyce, and again rejoyce. The Spirit and the Bride say, come; and Christ himself saith, Surely I come quickly; O let us say Amen to it; Even so come Lord Jesus.

SECT. II. Of Christ coming to judgment.

2. FOr Christ's coming to judgment; no sooner Christ prepared, and all in readiness, but down he descends from his Imperial throne to the Judgment-seat. In this pas∣sage I shall observe these particulars.

1. He descends with his Train: He comes with his Royal Attendants out of Heaven. This is the glory of a Prince, that hath so many Nobles waiting on him; and this is the glory of Jesus Christ, that when he comes to judge the world, he shall have his Saints and Angels (the glory of the creation) to be his Attendants in that work. Behold the Lord comes with mighty Angels. Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of his Saints, to execute judgment upon all. Certainly a numberless number shall wait upon him: Daniel tells us of a thousand thousand that this day Minister unto Christ, A thousand thousands ministred unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: or if Heaven have more, I believe Heaven will empty it self of all the Saints, and all the Angels; not one Spirit, whether Saint or Angel shall stay behind when Christ descends: The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him. Oh what a glorious day will this be! if one Sun make the morning Sky so glorious, what a bright, shining, and glorious morning will that be, when so many thousands of Suns shall shine over all our heads, the glorious Body of our Christ surpassing them all in splendor and glory? here's a new Heaven of Sun and Stars, such as this nether-world never saw, Lo yond the Sun of righteousness with all his Morning-stars, singing and shouting for joy: Heaven now empties it self of all its created Citizens, and cleaves a∣sunder to make way for Christ, and all his Train.

2. In his descent through the Heavens, he shakes the Heavens. And the powers of the heaven shall be shaken. The whole frame of Heaven, most strong and immutable in its being and motion; or the mighty bodies thereof, most mighty in their substance, lastingness, motion and operation shall be shaken. I know by the powers of heaven some mean the Angels, who at this wonderful descent of Christ shall admire and move; but I rather think the Heavens themselves are meant hereby, whose very nature shall be moved, and shaken at that day: At his nod the pillars of heaven tremble, and are asto∣nished. As yet they are Subject to vanity and therefore 'tis no wonder if at the coming of Christ they tremble and are moved. In this moving or shaking the Evangelists 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: Many interpretations are given of this: I am not for Allegories, but rather conceive these things are real; the very coming of Christ shall bring with him such a light, that the splendor of the Sun and Moon shall be obscured: this is most certain, saith Aretius, that both Sun and Moon shall really be darkened at that day; it is the glory of his Majesty that will dazle those Candles.

3. As he passes through the Elementary world, a fire doth usher him. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. Whence this fire should come, I shall not dispute, only one tells us with some confidence, that 'tis begotten in the middle Region of the Air by Divine command; and that first it goes before him, ushering the Judge to the Judgment-seat, and that there it stayes during the judgment; and that ended, and the doom passed on all flesh, then it sets on fire all the world. Let this pass as it may, Scripture goes thus far, that a fire goeth before 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 Apostles use on 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 hastening 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?

4. He descends lower and lower till he is inwrapt with clouds. Hereafter shall ye 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 from you 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, and 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 ap∣pearings, and sight of Christ at his second coming from Heaven, is in the midst of clouds? Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pier∣ced him. Some controversie there is about these clouds, as whether they be Angels? when the Psalmist speaks of all sorts of Meteors, as of Waters, Clouds, Winds, Flames, some say, all these are Angels; and of the Angels he saith, who maketh his Angels spirits, and his Ministers a flame of fire. For my part I take it in the literal sense, that upon the very backs of clouds Christ shall come riding along at the general day; and how∣soever this may seem a small matter unto us, yet I cannot look on any circumstance of this transaction as small and trifling! the very clouds on which Christ rides, speaks ter∣ror, and comfort.

1. Oh what a terror is this to the wicked? They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds, and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn. These Tribes of the Earth are the Tribes of the wicked; no sooner shall they look up, and see Christ in his clouds, but with unconceivable horror will they cry it out, O yonder is he whose blood we neglected, whose grace we resisted, whose counsels we refused, whose government we cast off. O yonder is he that comes now in clouds, in tempestuous clouds; O see how he storms! do not those very clouds in which he rides speak or threaten a storm? In the eighteenth Psalm is a description of Christ's coming to judgment. But O how terrible! in the seventh verse, we find the earth trembling; in the eighth verse, a fire devouring; in the ninth verse, the heavens bowing downwards▪ in the 12, 13, 14, 15. verses, are thick clouds darkning the skie, thunders, lightnings, haile∣stones flying through the air, the foundations of the world discovered; thus the Mighty God, our Jesus descends. Oh how should the wicked but tremble at this, when but a consideration of this hath sometimes startled God's own people? behold Habakkuk with quivering lips, trembling joynts, bones mouldering into dust, when he had onely a Prophetick representation of Christ's second appearance! all the dreadful things that attended the presence of God in Egypt, at the red Sea on Mount Sinai, through the Wilderness, are made but types, but shadows of the terrible march of the Captain of the Lord of Hosts; and therefore shall the wicked mourn.

2. Here is the patience, and faith, and joy of Saints. And all the kindreds of the earth shall mourn over him; even so, Amen. This I cannot but understand of the wicked; onely some tell us of a double mourning on that day, the one of joy and love, and the other of sorrow and despair; I shall not deny but there may be some sweet tears upon this sweet Subject, Christ's apparition in the clouds: Such a shine will be from Christ in the cloud, that the very shine will pierce the hearts of men with the golden-headed arrow of love, and how may this work tears? from this Text of John, Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wayle, &c. Some Di∣vines gather, that Christ at that day, will shew in his glorified body the wounds of his crucifying, as an infallible trophy of his victory over all his enemies; and hence the wicked who pierced, or crucified the Lord of glory, by their sins, will weep and waile. I can think no less, but that Christ at that day will open his bosom, and shew those wounds of love, which he had in his heart from all eterni∣ty, together with those wounds which he received on the Cross, as they are glori∣fied

in his eternal love: and then as at the discovery of Joseph, he and his brethren fell upon the necks of earth other and wept; so will this discovery in the appearances of Christ bring a sweet confusion upon the Spirits of Saints; then shall a Saint fall at the feet of his Saviour, and weeping say, O my Jesus! thou art my Father, Brother, Hus∣band, Self; while there were other things, I loved other things besides thy self, but alas! they are everlastingly gone, and have left me alone, yet now thou ownest me; O my Je∣sus thou breakest my heart: oh I cannot but weep out tears of love, and tears of joy at this appearing; O welcome, welcome, sweet Jesus into these clouds! oh welcome, welcome, sweet Jesus into this neather world.

In these Clouds I must leave our Saviour for a while, and the rather, because I be∣lieve he will descend no lower: onely before I pass, one word of Use to all his Saints.

You see him still upon his old design; though the world now end, yet hitherto there is no end of his great transaction; his first coming and his second coming is to save your souls; his first coming was to purchase, his second to give you the possession of Salvati∣on. What, are you not glad of this Gospel-news, that Christ will come at last from this Empyreal Throne to his judgment-seat, to give you the possession of salvation? is not the promise of his coming comfortable? is it not comfortable to believe in him, and to hope for him? why, muse then, what comfort will it be to see his person with all his glorious train coming for you? The Mighty God, the Lord hath spoken, and called the Earth, from the rising of the Sun, to the going down thereof; out of Zion the perfection of beauty hath God shined; our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour be∣fore him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him; he shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth that he might judge his people. It is indeed a most terrible day unto the wicked, but oh how sweet, and pleasant, and comfortable to his Saints? Christi∣ans! do we not long to have Christ's Spirit come into our souls with life? do we not droop while Christ is absent from our souls? are not the feet of them beautiful that bring glad tydings of peace, and of salvation by Jesus Christ? Oh then what will it be to see the King, not in his Embassadors, but in his own person coming for us to fetch us into Heaven? if we have but a dear friend returned from some far Country, how do all run out to meet him with joy? Oh saith the child, my father is come; saith the wife, my husband is come; and shall not we, when we see our Father, our Husband, our Head, our Saviour returning with great glory, and glorious Majesty, cry out, he is come, he is come? 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 prevailed for us, whose Law did govern us? yonder comes he in whom we trusted, and now we see he hath 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, oh let us comfort our selves with these words; and ever and anon cry, Come Lord Jesu, come quickly! make hast my beloved, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the Mountain of spices.

SECT. III. Of Christ's summoning of the Elect to come under judgment.

3. FOR Christ's summons of the Elect to come under judgment: no sooner is he in the clouds, his Throne of judicature, but there he stands, and thence 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. Christ's summons are effectual, if he will have the elect to meet him, they must come; to this purpose he sends his Angels, and they return with his Saints back again to the judgement-seat. In the carrying on of this affair, we shall discuss these particulars. 1. His mission of the Angels. 2. The manner of the mission. 3. The resurrection of the world. 4. The collection of the Saints; wherein, 1. whence, 2. whither they are gathered.

1. For Christ's mission of his Angels; 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 betwixt Christ and the Angels, he was to fit on God's right hand,

but they were sent abroad to Minister to the Saints and people of God; To which of the Angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool? are they not all Ministring Spirits, sent forth to Minister for them, who shall be heirs of salvation? Now according to their office, Christ puts them upon imployment at this day. q. d. O my Angels! you that wait upon me, that excel in strength, that do my commandments, and hearken to the voice of my Word: go your wayes now into all the four winds of the World, gather all my Saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice; search into all the dusts of the earth, and leave not behind one dust that belongs unto any Saint; search into the bottom of the Sea; see what becomes of those drowned bodies of my dear ones; if either worms have eaten those in graves, or fishes have devoured them in the deep, why now restore them; am not I as able to recover them, as I was to create them? is it not as easie for me to raise the dead, as to make Heaven and Earth, and all of nothing? go then and gather together all those dusts and let every dust be brought home to its own proper body, and compact those dusts as soft as they are into solid bones; and prophesie upon those bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live, and I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am the Lord; why this is my will and pleasure, and therefore be gone, O my Angels, do your office, what? have not I commanded you?

2. The Mission, or commission, or dismission given, the Angels, swift messengers of his will fall on the execution; and to that purpose immediately they sound the Trum∣pet; so it follows, And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet. Here is the manner of their mission; they go, and as they go they give a shout; what this shout is, or how it is made, is a curious question, and sets many wits on work: in this Scripture it is set out by the sound of a Trumpet. Now some would have it to be a material Trumpet, because the Scriptures frequently call it a Trumpet; He shall send his Angels with the sound of a Trumpet, saith Christ; and in a mo∣ment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump we shall be changed (saith Paul) for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised. And the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trumpet of God: But whether this Trumpet shall be of Silver or of Brass, or of the Air, or of the Cloud and Meteors whereon Christ rides, they cannot agree:† others more pro∣bably look upon this Trumpet as nothing else but a metaphor; or a sound formed in the Air, like the sound of a Trumpet. A voice it is without all controversie; and metaphorically it may be called a trumpet, both from the clearness and greatness of the sound; so loud shall it be, that 'twill 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. An horrible ter∣rible voice shall it be: But how should Angels who are spirits make a voice? by a col∣lision of the Air which the Angels can move at their pleasure; and who can tell, say some, but there may be some new-created instrument trumpet-like, adapted for the An∣gels; at the sides of which, by a force, and collision of the air, this great shout may be, to convene all the World? or who knows (say others) but that the Lord Jesus may fill the Angels, even as trumpets are filled with a loud blast, and that through them this loud blast shall come rushing like a mighty wind upon the dead Saints, and so awaken their bodies out of the dust? we all know this was usual in all the Jews solemnities to convene the people by the found of a trumpet. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver,—That thou mayest use them for the calling of the Assembly; —And when thou shalt blow them, all the Assembly shall assemble themselves; and if ye go to war, then ye shall blow an a∣larme with the Trumpets; and in the same way (say they) Christ now will convene all the World with the sound of a trumpet, or with the sound of some such instrument of divine power and vertue, whereby the dead shall be raised, and their bodies and souls re-united. Amidst all those Authors, if I may deliver my opinion; I suppose the Text that will clear all to us above all that is written, is that of 1 Thessalonians 4.16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God. Give me leave to insist on it, that we may come up yet to a more full and perfect knowledg of this passage. In these words is shewed, or held forth the coming of Christ in three

particulars: with a shout, with a voice, and with a trumpet; some think this to be one and the same set out in variety of expressions; but I am of another mind. It is agreed by most that the transactions at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, were a re∣presentation of the proceedings which shall be at the great day of Judgment; now in that transaction we read of a three-fold voice, The voice of God, the voice of Thunder, and the voice of a Trumpet, (Exod. 19.16. compared with Exod. 20.1.) and according∣ly we find the Apostle speaking of a three-fold voice, Of the voice of Christ, of the voice of Thunder, and of the voice of a Trumpet.

1. The Lord himself shall descend with a shout: Arius Montanus, and the vulgar translate it with a command; Lyra and others think this to be the voice of Christ him∣self, saying, with a loud voice, Arise ye dead, and come to Judgment. Thus Jesus cry∣ed 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 hath 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 his voice he 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; Mar∣vel not at this (saith 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 arise, 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. Two questions here; 1. Who is this Archangel? 2. What is this voice?

For the first, some argue this Archangel to be Gabriel, others Raphael, others Mi∣chael. The Jews have an antient tradition, that there are seven principal Angels that mi∣nister 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 hornes, and seven eyes of the Lamb; and the seven spirits of God sent for••h 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; only probable it is, that all the Archangels, and all the angels are hereby understood, as comprehended under that one; to which agrees, Matth. 24.31. Mr. Aynsworth observes, that when things are done by a multitude; where one is chief, that the action is frequently ascribed either to the multitude, or to him that is chief indifferently; as Jehoiadah brought forth the Kings Son, and he put the Crown upon him, 2 Kings 11.12. or they brought forth the Kings son, and they put upon him the Crown, 2 Chron. 23.11. so David offered burnt-offerings, 2 Sam. 6.17. or they offered burnt offerings, 1 Chron. 16.1. and so he shall descend with the voice of the Archangel; or he shall scend his Angels with a great sound, Matth 24.3.

That there are seven principal Angels, Master Mede affirms; and that there is one which yet eminently, is called the Archangel; some others affirm, as among Devils, there is one chief Devil, called the Prince of Devils; and therefore the fire is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels; so from this Text of 1 Thess. 4.16. and of Dan. 10.13. and of Jude v. 9. Some probably conclude that the good Angels have a Prince, even Michael, whom Jude calls the Archangel. But of this no more; the Lord keep me from intruding into those things which I have not seen. The day it self will discover it, and so I leave it, as having said enough to satisfie the sober minded.

For the second, what is this voice of the Archangel? I conceive that thereby we are to understand thunder: here is (as we have said) a manifest allusion to the proceed∣ings 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. In this sense some expound these words of the Apostle, where the Law is said to be spoken by Angels, because the Angels did raise up those extraordinary thunders, which happily were the matters of the ar∣ticulate voice, in which the Lord spake to Israel: or if the Law was spoken by Christ (as I have delivered my opinion elsewhere) he being the Angel of the Cove∣nant, Mal. 3 1, And the Angel of his presence, Isa. 63.9. Yet this hinders not, but that created Angels might speak the Law too, if not in respect of the articulate voyce,

yet in respect of the voyce of thunders which attended on it; thus thunder is often cal∣led the voyce of God, and the voyce of his excellency, Job 37.4, 5. Psalm. 29.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

3. The Lord shall descend with the trumpet of God. Such a voyce was used also at the giving of the Law, Exod. 19.16. and Exod. 20.18. 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; but in four Greek copies, as Beza confesseth, as also in the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, and in the Vulgar, and in the margent of our last translation, it is read, that Christ shall send his Angels with a trumpet, and a great voyce. And so the lat∣ter words are exegetical, q. d. with a trumpet, that is, with a great voyce, like the voice of a trumpet; so that this reading very provably proves, that the last trumpet is to be taken metaphorically. For the more full confirmation whereof I argue thus; when any thing is ascribed to the Angels which is not suitable to their spiritual nature, and which they have no need of for the work they are about, is it to be taken meta∣phorically; unless the context or some other Scripture force us to a proper acceptati∣on, but a material trumpet of Silver, Brass, or the like metal, is not suitable to the spiritual nature of the Angels; neither have they need of such a trumpet for pro∣ducing a great sound in the Air; it is evident that without a trumpet they can make a great sound like the noise of a trumpet; and there is nothing at all in the Scriptures that will force us, or probably lead us to a proper acceptation of the word; add yet to what hath been said, that sometimes a great voice is set out by the similitude of a Trumpet; I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Rev. 1.10. and the first voyce which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet, Rev. 4.1.

But why is this sound as of a trumpet, called the trumpet of God? I answer, for the greatness of it; for its usual in the Hebrew Language for the setting forth of great∣ness, excellency, or superlativeness of a thing, to add the Name of God to the word, whereby the thing is signified; as Gen. 23.6. A Prince of God, (i.e.) a Mighty Prince, Gen. 30.8. With the wrestlings of God, (i.e.) with great wrestlings, Psal. 36.6. Mountains of God (i.e.) Great mountains, Psal 80.10. Cedars of God (i.e.) very high Cedars. So here, the trump of God (i.e.) 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 voyce of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that was in the camp trembled; and if there was trembling at the giving of the Law, oh what trembling will be at the general Assize, when sinners shall be condemned for breaking of it?

3. No sooner 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 its effect. Somthing like death shall ceaze upon them, and they shall be changed. The order of this is given in by the Apostle from the Lord; 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 voyce 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 into the clouds. The first that shall be called are the Saints that sleep, and then the Saints that are alive shall be immediatly changed. Oh 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? for the wicked I believe they shall rise like Toads from their holes, in a black, swarthy, ugly, colour: A question is amongst the Schools, whether Reprobates shall rise again with all their deformities which they had in this life? as some of them being blind, halt, lame, maimed, deaf, dum, &c. Whether now they shall rise in the self-same con∣dition? for my part I conceive that whereas God the author of nature, will at that day restore humane nature, that therefore there shall be no defects of natural parts; certainly nothing shall be wanting in the damned, which may impede the sense of torment in any part; now a defect of any member would hinder these universal torments that must ceaze on every part of the bodies of the damned in Hell; their bodies therefore shall be whole, onely the bodies of such shall be foul, ugly, heavy, lumpish bodies, as opposed to the glorious qualities of the bodies of Saints; why, what bodies (you will say) have they? I answer, glorious bodies: no sooner shall the bodies of the Saints arise, but they shall exceed with singular

qualities; They were sown in corruption, but they are raised in incorruption; they were sown in dishonour, but raised in glory; they were sown in weakness, but raised in power; they were sowen natural bodies, but raised spiritual bodies. The Sun in its shinings, doth but shadow forth the glory of their bodies; and this will in some measure torment Reprobates, to see the difference of their bodies, and the bodies of the Saints. O (will they say) yond are they, whom we despised, and now are they honoured. See a world of Suns rising at once out of all parts of the Earth; sometimes we lived on Earth, and we never saw but one Sun rising in the East, but lo millions of Suns on East, and West, and North, and South; O those are the glorious Saints of Heaven: see with what swift and agile bodies they are pre∣paring to fly into the Air, to meet their Lord and Saviour there; whilst in the mean time we rise with such heavy, dull, and deformed bodies, that we cannot mount. O what will become of us? why this is the day of resurrection. The Angels have been here to unseal our graves to roll away the stones, and at their shout, and sound of the Trumpet, our scattered dusts have met together: and lo now we stand upon the Earth.

4. No sooner the Saints raised, and their souls and Bodies re-united with excellent Majesty, but then shall all the elect of God, from first to last be gathered together: if you ask whence? and whither? I answer—

1. To the question whence? from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to another. (i.e.) From all parts of the world, from East, and West, and North, and South, from one end of Heaven to another; a Vulgar term, in regard of our sight; for in it self Heaven is round, and hath no end: the meaning is, that not one Saint in all the world, from Adam to the last man shall be concealed, or lye hid; from the most hid∣den, 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 all those dusts, and bring them together into their several compacted bodies.

2. To the question whether they shall be gathered? Some say to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, from that Text, Let the Heathen be weakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there, will I sit to judge the Heathen round about; but I believe this Text hath reference to a particular judgment of God upon Israels enemies which dwell round about Jerusalem, and not to the general day of Judgment. O∣thers say, to Mount-Olivet from that Text, This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven; then returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet. But I believe this Text speaks onely of the manner how Christ shall come, and not of the place to which he shall come. Indeed 'tis not probable that either the valley of Jehoshaphat, or the Mount of Olivet can be sufficient places to contain all the men that ever were, are, and shall be; and therefore if such a thing can be determined, I should rather appeal to that Text, Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them (that are raised) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. When Christ was askt this very question, where Lord? whither shall the Saints be gather∣ed? where shall the general Judgment be? he answers, wheresoever the body is, thi∣ther will the Eagles be gathered together. By the body, Christ meant himself, and by the Eagles Christ meant his Elect, because their youth is renewed as the Eagles; now 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 gather∣ed; they shall be caught up by the holy Angels into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.

O my brethren, what sights are these! what changes, wonders, strange face of things will be this day? how is it that we are not as frequent in the meditation of this Summons as Jerom was, who as he thought, heard dayly that sound, Arise ye dead and come to Judgment? methinks a sad and serious consideration of these passages might keep us close to Christ; come try a little, if in the hurryings of the day we are so distracted, that we cannot reach the spiritual part of a meditation, yet in the evening or morning when all is still, or in the night-season when all is quiet, then labour to prevent the day of doom; so realize it, as if then we saw Christ in the clouds, sending his Angels on this errand, Away, and bring hither all the men, and women in the world; and in the first place, gather my Saints together unto me, Adam and Abraham,

those Fathers of the world and of the faithful, let them see all their children, and let all their children see them, and bring them all to my Throne; awaken the world, let them who have slept in their graves, some thousand of years be now rouzed, and raised. Imagine then, as if we heard the Trumpet of God founded by the Angels of God, and as the sound of it waxed louder and louder, that we saw the Mountains skip like Rams, and the little Hills like young Sheep. That we saw all the graves in Churches, or Church-yards, in Fields, or Plains, or Seas fly open, that we saw all the bodies of the dead beginning to stir, and to stand upon their feet, and presently the Angels coming, and taking all the Saints upon their wings, and so flying with them through the air till they came to the Throne, and judgment-seat of Christ: is it possible that such a meditation should pass without some tincture of it 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 from the mouth of my grave, where ever I shall be buried, to the cloud where Christ doth sit; come then, how would I rise? as foul as a toad? or as an Angel of God? O my God! set this home on my soul! O where's my Lamp? and where's my oyl? are all ready? and am I ready, furnished, and prepared to meet the Lord in the Air? Christians! if we have any life in us, let us act and realize this to the life; O this would keep us close to Christ, and to the Banner of Christ; who would not march under this Banner, and adhere to him, that but reads over these summons of souls at the last dreadful day.

SECT. IV. Of Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day.

4. FOR Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day; no sooner are the Saints lifted up, and set before the Judge, but these things follow—

1. They look, and gaze, and dart their beams: and reflect their glories on each other. Oh the communications! Oh the darting of beams betwixt Christ and his Saints! look as when two admirable persons, two lovers meet together, their eyes sparkle, they look on, as if they would look through one another. So Christ and his Saints at first meeting, they look on, as if they would look through one another. And such is the effect of these looks, that they give a lustre to each other by their Looks. Did not Moses face shine when he had been with God? and shall not the faces of the elect glitter and shine when Christ also looks on them? nor stays it there; but as they shine by Christ, so shall their shine reflect on Christ, and give a glory to Christ, and this I take it to be the meaning of the Apostle, That when Christ shall come, he shall be glorified in his Saints; not onely in himself, but in his Saints also; whose glory as it comes from him, so it redounds also to him, For of him, and through him, and to him are all things.

2. They admire at the infinite glory, and beauty, and dignity, and excellency that is in Christ. The glory they reflect on him is nothing to the glory that is in him. Oh when these Stars the Saints shall but look upon Christ the Son of righteous∣ness, they exceedingly admire. So the Apostle, When he shall come, he shall be glori∣fied in his Saints, and he 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 an excellency in Jesus Christ, as that 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 onely speak or hear, but see and behold him who is the Express image of God, and the brightness of his Fathers glory? O the lustres that he casts forth each way! is not his very body more sparkling than the Diamond before the Sun? yea, more than the Sun it self now shining at noon-day? how should the Saints but wonder at this sight? Oh there is more beauty, and glory in Jesus Christ than ever their thoughts or imaginations could possibly reach; there is more weight of sweetness, joy, and delight in Jesus Christ, than either the seeing Eye, or hearing Ear, or the vast un∣derstanding Heart (which can multiply and add still to any former thoughts) can

possibly conceive: every soul will cry out then, I believed to see much glory in Jesus Christ, when ever I saw him; I had some twilight, or Moon-light glances of Christ, on Earth; but O blind I! O narrow I! that could never have faith, opinion, thought, or imagination to fathom the thousand-thousand part of the worth, and incompara∣ble excellency that I now see in him. Why, this causeth admiration, when we see more, than ever we could expect; the Saints shall then cry out, and say, I see more ten thousand times more than ever I expected; I see all the beauty of God put forth in Christ, I see the substantial reflection of the Fathers light and glory in Jesus Christ, I see thousands of excellencies in Jesus Christ that never were revealed to me before. This is the very nature of admiration; it is eve•• wondering or admi∣ring at some new and strange thing: the glory of Christ will then exceed all former apprehension. O they admire to see the King in such a beauty, they admire to see the Judge in such a glittering and glorious Robe of Majesty, they admire, and they cannot but admire.

3. They adore, and magnifie the grace and glory of Jesus Christ; as it is said of the twenty four Elders, that they fell down before him that sate on the Throne, and wor∣shipped him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their Crowns before the Throne, saying, thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory, and honour and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. So all the Saints, now advanced to come up to Christ, and to stand before the Throne, they fall down before Christ, and they worship him that lives for ever, shouting and singing about Jesus Christ, and setting out his glory, grace, and goodness. After this I beheld (saith John) and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all Nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb—and cryed 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 Beasts, and fell before the Throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen; blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God for ever, and ever, Amen. Saints and Angels will both give glory to Jesus Christ that day; every elect man will then acknowledge, here is Christ that shed his blood for me, here is the Saviour that laid down his life for me, here is the Sacrifice that gave him∣self a propitiation for me, here is the Person that mediated, and interceded, and made peace for me, here is the Redeemer that delivered, and redeemed me from the wrath to come; and then they begin those Hallelujahs, that never shall have end: Hallelujah, and again Hallelujah; and Amen Hallelujah; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

4. Christ welcomes them into his glorious presence; if the Father could receive his Prodigal but repenting with hugs and kisses, how will Christ now receive his Saints, wh••n they come as a Bride to the solemnization of the marriage; his very heart springs (as I may say) at the sight of his Bride; no sooner he sees her, and salutes her, but he welcomes her with such words as these: O my love, my dove, my fair one, come now and enjoy thy Husband, many a thought I have had of thee, before I made the world, I spent my infinite eternal thoughts on thy salvation, when the world began I gave thee a promise, that I would betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment; in loving-kindness, in mercy, and in faithfulness; It was I that for thy sake was incar∣nate, and lived, and died, and rose again, and ascended, and since my ascension that have been interceding for thee, and making ready the Bride-chamber where thou and I must live, for ever and ever: and now I come higher into the clouds, to meet thee more than half the way; and my meaning is to take thee by the hand, and to bring thee to my Father; now do I take thee for my own; O my Sister, my Spouse, thou art as dear to me as my own dear heart; come, see into my bosom, see here Love written in the golden letters of free-grace; come near, for I must have thee with me; and I will never more be so strange to thee as to this day; sometimes thy sins have made a wall of partition between me and thee; sometimes I withdrew and was gone, and I hid my self beyond the curtains; and for a time thou hast layen hid in the closset of the grave; but now wee'l never part more; anon I will bring thee to my Father, and I will say to him, Father, behold here my Spouse that I have mar∣ried unto my self; in the mean time welcome to thy Jesus, I have purchased thee with my blood, I have paid dear for thee: and now I'll wear thee as a Crown, and orna∣ment for ever.

5. Christ sets them on his right hand; Ʋpon thy right hand doth stand the Queen in Gold of Ophir. This is the sign of Christ's love, and respect to his Saints; when he himself ascended up into Heaven, then said the Father to him; Son, sit thou down at my right hand; and no sooner the Saints are ascended up to Christ, but he speaks the same to them, Sit thou down at my right hand; Christ entertains them, as God the Father entertained him, he at the right hand of God, and they at the right hand of Christ. And herein is set forth the great exaltation of the Saints; as Christ being set at God's right hand, God highly exalted him and gave him a Name above every Name, so now are the Saints highly exalted by Jesus Christ, now are they filled with unmatchable perfections, now is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the fulness of perfection, and fulness of honour and glory conferred upon them; Ʋpon his right hand is set the Queen in gold of Opnir, (i e.) in the best, richest, finest Gold; the Lord now puts up∣on his Saints heavens glory; he adorns them with all his ornaments fit for the mar∣riage 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. As the Bridegroom on the day of nuptials comes forth in his glory, and as the Bride on the marriage-day comes forth in her best array; and as the servants, and pa∣rents, and friends, and all appear on the marriage-day in as much glory as they can; so Christ on this day comes forth in his glory, with all his Angels in their glory; and the Saints, the Lambs wife, The Kings Daughter, is all glorious, without and within. Though Stars may lose their shining when the Sun ariseth, yet the glory of the Saints shall be no less, because of the Sun of righteousness, but rather more. This is the day that Christ shall honour his Saints before all the world; come (will he say) and sit you down at my right hand; as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goats, so will I separate you from wicked reprobates; why you are they for whom the eternal councels of my Father did work, you are they in whom I am now to be gloryfied for ever; and therefore now will I exalt, and advance, and honour you; sit here, or stand here on my right hand: O come, come hither to the right hand of your Saviour.

6. Hereupon Christ fully, and actually joys in them; and they in him; he joys in them, because now he sees of the travail of his soul; he sees the issue of all his do∣ings and sufferings hereon earth, he sees now the great work he hath brought about, to wit, the glory of his Saints; and he cannot but rejoyce therein. As a man that makes a work that is very curious, and glorious, he takes abundance of delight to look upon it; when God made the world; he lok't upon what he made, and he saw it was good, and he delighted in it: So Christ looks on his Saints, and when he sees what he hath done, in raising so poor a worm to so high an excellency, he takes infinite de∣light therein; now he sees that he hath attained his end in that great design, and deep∣est councels that he had before the world: he was then resolved to save a number of sinners, and to bring them at last to himself that they might behold him in his glory, and manifest the riches of his grace; and to that purpose hath he still been carrying on the great work of souls salvation, as we have heard; and now that he sees it accomplished, and fulfilled in them, he must needs delight: In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, fear thou not, and to Zion, let not thy hands be faint, for the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save thee, he will rejoyce over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

And as he joys in them, so they cannot but rejoyce in him; as he delights in their glory, so they cannot but delight in his glory: are they not at Christ's right hand? and is not that the place of pleasure, the Paradise of God? In thy presence is ful∣ness of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore: The very setting them on Christ's right hand, is the beginning of Heavens joy. The presence of Christ makes joy, exceeding joy, saith Jude; oh but what joy? what fulness of joy, what exceeding joy will it be to be set at Christ's right hand? now begins that joy, that never, never shall have end. O the complacency which the blessed feel in their see∣ing, knowing, loving, and being beloved of Jesus Christ. O my Christ, let me have tribulation here, let me here spend my days in sorrow, and my breath in sighings; punish me here, cut me in pieces here, burn me here, so that I may there be placed at thy right hand; for then joy will come, and sorrow will vanish; sorrow is but for a night, this night of life; but joy will come in the morning of the resurrection, and it never shall be night again.

SECT. V. Of Christ's sentencing his Saints.

5. FOR Christ sentencing of his Saints; no sooner are they set on his right hand, but he prepares for sentence; in the opening of which we must consider, 1. The preparative. 2. The sentence it self.

1. The preparative before sentence will be some exploration or trial of the parties to be sentenced, as—

1. The Book must be opened. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the Books were opened, and another Book was opened which is the Book of life. It is spoken after the manner of men, in whose publick Judgments are produced all the writings of the process, informations, depositions of witnesses, to shew that all acti∣ons, even the most secret ones, shall then be rehearsed and made manifest; Augustine thinks these Books to be the Books of the Old and New Testament, wherein all things either to be done, or omitted, are prescribed by God: and then shall these Books be opened, because according to them shall sentence be given; In that day God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel. Origen, and all most all with him, think these Books to be the Books of our consciences, which now are shut up, and concealed from men; but then shall be made manifest to all the world: whatever these Books are, we find here one Book opened which is pro∣per to the Saints, called the Book of Life; This Book contains in it the names of all that are elected from first to last; Thou John, and thou Joseph, and thou Judeth, and thou Mary, and thou Elizabeth, &c. you are all Book'd down; there is the particula∣rity, and there is the certainty; Your names are written in Heaven, rejoyce in it; Oh what is the joy of Saints when once they see this book opened, and their names inrolled, engraven there in letters of glory. This very Book clears it to me, that God from all eternity made choice of a particular and determinate number of Persons, to save them; and that none other can be saved, but those who were so elected; and whoso∣ever are so elected, they shall not fall away. All that worship the Beast, their names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb, from the foundation of the world. On the other side, He that overcometh, the same shall be written in the Book of life, and I will not blot out his name, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels. This is the day when that book of life shall be opened, and Christ shall read the names of every elect person before God and Angels; not that Christ needs a book, or indeed reads a name, but that his Election stands so firm, that he knows every predestinated Saint as well, as we know their names, whom for our memo∣ries we commit unto our books: and then he will so honour his Saints, that he will publish their names to all the world.

2. All the actions, demeanours, graces, duties, and (it may be) sins of Saints shall be produced and laid open: 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 onely names, but things were written, and these things were produced, and accordingly they were judged.

1. As to evil things, unfruitful works of darkness. It is a question, and I dare not be too positive in it, viz. Whether the sins of God's People shall be manifest at the day of Judgment? Some are for the negative, because God in his promises speaks so expresly, Of forgiving iniquities, of remembring them no more, of blotting them out, of throwing them into the bottom of the Sea, of casting them behind his back: in which respect say they, the Godly are said not to come into Judgement. I suppose this last Text is ill urged, for by Judgment is not meant discussion, but condemnation; and in our best Translations so it is rendred; others are for the affirmative, upon these grounds. 1. Because many of the Godly and wicked men's sins are mingled to∣gether, and there cannot be a Judgment of discussion, preceding that of condem∣nation, unless Godly men's sins are also produced. 2. Because it is spoken gene∣rally in respect of all sorts, that the Books were opened; By which Books most un∣derstand the consciences of men, and by the opening of those Books, they under∣stand the manifesting, clearing, and discovering of consciences at that general day.

3. Because the Scriptures are express for the affirmative; not but that those Texts are truths, that sins are forgiven, blotted out, thrown away, to be remembred no more, (i.e.) as to condemnation; but as for exploration or discussion the Lord speaks universally, that of every idle word that men speak, they shall give an account thereof at the day of Judgment. If the ballance weigh down on this side (for my part I am not peremptory, but shall easily submit to the spirits of the Prophets) yet this manifestation shall not be for the shame, grief, trouble, ignominy, or confusion of the godly; but only for the setting up of God's justice, and that the goodness and free grace of God in Christ may be made more illustrious; how will Christ then be exalted, when all the world shall see his righteousness and goodness, his truth and mercy, now again meeting together, and kissing each other? it was so at his first coming, and it will be so at his second coming; then shall his justice and mercy, his righteousness and goodness be manifested to all; in that by his own merits, notwithstanding their sins, he will bring all his Saints to his heavenly glory.

2. As for good things, whether good works, duties or graces, there is no question but all these will be that day produced, and laid open. 1. We see Christ enumerating the good works of them on his right hand; for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye cloathed me; sick, and ye visited me; in prison, and ye came unto me. It is true, in this catalogue we find nothing of faith, but all of works; but certainly faith is in∣cluded, as the life of the Tree is included in the fruit; not only, nor principally are works here mentioned for the goodness of the work considered in it self; but as these works did express our faith and love to Jesus Christ, in that by saith we could see Christ in a poor beggar, or prisoner, and could love Jesus Christ in these poor, bet∣ter than all our worldly goods, or liberties. I do not wonder that Paul adviseth his Corinthians, See that ye abound in this grace of contribution to the Saints: and that he prayeth his Philipians, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more; And that he prayeth for his Thessalonians, now the Lord make you to increase, and to abound in love one towards another, and towards all men; and that he praiseth God in their behalf; We are bound to thank God always for you brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth. Christians! if we did but consider that every duty done to God or Man, that every penny given to a poor naked Saint, that every cup of cold water given to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, should not lose his reward, but this day should be reckoned up, or drawn (as it were) into a full Inventory; Impri∣mis, For this piece of silver given such a day to such a one; Item, For this piece of bread such a day given to such a one, &c. Oh who would not abound in faith and love? oh who would think any thing too much, too good, too dear to give to the needy members of Jesus Christ? there is a charge laid upon Ministers to preach this Doctrine, I beseech you give me leave to discharge my duty, and to lay it, and leave it at your doors, where beggars usually stand; Charge them that are rich in this world—that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to destribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. You to whom God hath given the riches of this world, as you would meet Christ with comfort, learn this lessen; consider whether of these too reckonings will be more comfortable at that day; Item, So much given to such and such a religious use? or so much given towards such a Feast, and for the entertainment of such brave gallants? so much to promote the Gospel? or so much at Dice, Cards, Horse-races? if one should tell you, that either you must feed Christ in the poor, or you must starve in Hell; you must either cloath naked Christ in the poor, or you must be laid naked to the fiery indignation of the Lord for ever, oh what strictness would you call this? but I recollect my self; if Christ set you at his right hand, he will then recount all your charities, and all your labours of love to the Saints: you that are poor, and had nothing to give, he will tell you of your good works, if it was no more, but at such a time, you cast a mite into his Treasury, and at such a time you carried a Letter for the Lord Jesus; he will produce and com∣mend these pittances of your poor charities to all the world.

2. Nor only good works to man; but all the Saints duties to God shall come in remembrance. Oh then it will be known who served the Lord in spirit and truth, and who did not; then Men and Angels shall know, such a day this poor

Saints performed such a spiritual service; every prayer in publick or private, every, tear shed for sin, every sob, or sigh, every spiritual meditation, or self-examination every glance, ejaculation, or looking unto Jesus, shall be recounted by Jesus: It was said of Cornelius, that as well his prayers to God, as his alms to men came up for a memo∣rial before God; certainly every duty in reference to the first table is booked in Heaven, and at this day the book being opened, it will appear, that such a prayer thou madest such a morning and such an evening in thy closet; and now will Christ say, Did not I tell thee, that if thou wouldst pray to thy Father in secret, then he that saw thee in secret, should reward thee openly? why now shalt thou have thy reward in a full view, I will divulge here all thy secret duties, to Men and Angels; all the world shall know it, thy wandrings I told them, and thy tears I bottled them; lo here, are they not all written in my Book?

3. Nor onely duties, but graces shall now be rehearsed; thy Knowledge, Faith, Hope, Love, spiritual Joy; thy Fear, Obedience, Repentance, Humility, Meekness, Patience, Zeal, Perseverance shall be fully discovered; time was that in the incense of such a Prayer many sweet spices were burned together; therein was Faith working by Love; therein was Humility, therein was Patience in submiting to God's will and plea∣sure, therein was Hope of a gracious answer in God's due time, therein was Holiness, brokenness of Heart, and love to others, &c. Time was (saith Christ) that I gathe∣red my myrr with my spices, that I eat my honey-comb with my honey that I both accepted and delighted my self in thy heavenly graces; I shall never forget how thou didst ravish my heart, my sister, my spouse; how thou dost ravish my heart with one of thine eyes, and with one chain of thy neck. Why, thus shall the Lord set forth, and tell all the world what gracious children he had; then will appear indeed the Meekness of Moses, the Faith of Abra∣ham, the Patience of Job, the Zeal of Phineas, the Love of Magdalen; and according to the measure of grace conferred upon thee, Christ will set thee out; We commend the graces of such and such Saints at their death, but oh let Christ blazon me, and his graces in me at the resurrection-day.

Thus far for the Exploration or trial before sentence.

2. For the sentence it self, 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 had summoned them before to his presence, and now they are about him, he will not part with them, they must come a little nearer yet, they must go with him into his presence chamber; the mansions are ready, the Supper of the Lamb is ready, and now he begins the solemn invitation to his bride, Come. 2. Come ye blessed of my Father] Christ blessed them when he went up to Heaven, and whiles yet on earth he pronounced them blessed many a time; Blessed be ye poor; Blessed are ye that hunger; Bless••d are ye that weep; but now he calls them the blessed of his Father; not onely Christ, but God the Father hath ever looked upon them as his children; it is the Father's will as well as Christ's that they should be blessed, Ye 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 as servants, or as children under age but now they are heirs, Heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; and now they are come to full age, To the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; and therefore they must have the inheritance in possession, they must all be Kings; this very word speaks them Kings, and makes them Kings; it is the solemn coronation of the Saints. It 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 for me onely, but unto them also that love his ap∣pearing. 4. Inherit the Kingdom, prepared for you] as Tophet was prepared of old, so was this Kingdom prepared of old; it was the first creature that ever God made, 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 the 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 God and Christ, as the Saints are; the Angels are but ministring spirits, and the servants of the Bride-groom, but the Saints are the Bride her self, heirs and co-heirs with Christ. 5. Prepared for you from the foundation of the world.] This was the great design of God and Christ from all eter∣nity;

before the foundations of the world, and at the first stone laid, and ever since, they have been carrying on this mighty work: it is not a business of yesterday onely; No, no; the eternal thoughts of God have been upon it, He hath chosen us in him before the foun∣dation of the world.

Oh what thoughts are in Saints, when this sentence is propounded! Oh what joy en∣ters into them now they are to enter into their Masters joy? methinks if it were possible that tears could be in a glorified estate, the Saints should not see Christ reach out a Crown to set it on their heads, but they should weep, and hold away their heads, but Christ will have it so; This honour have all the Saints; praise ye the Lord.

SECT. VI. Of Christ and the Saints judging the rest of the World.

6. FOR Christ and his Saints judging the world: no sooner shall the Saints be sentenced, Justified, Acquitted, Anointed, Crowned; but presently they must be enthroni∣zed, and sit with Jesus Christ to judge the world. In the unfolding of this we may ob∣serve these particulars.—

1. As Christ is on a Throne, so now must the Elect be set on Thrones; To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne. Thrones are for Kings and Judges; and in that Christ hath 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 honour to have Thrones by 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. And Christ himself told his Apostles, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Is∣rael. Hence some argue that amongst all the Saints, the Apostles shall have their Thrones seated next to Christ; howsoever the rest shall not be deprived of their Thrones; for not onely twelve Thrones, but twelve and twelve are set about the Throne of Christ; And round about the Throne were four and twenty Thrones (or seats) and upon the Throne I saw four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed with white rayment, and they had on their heads crowns of Gold. Onely four and twenty Thrones, and four and twenty El∣ders are numbred, but thereby is represented the whole Church of Christ; It is plain enough, that all the Saints shall appear plainly in the glory of Christ's Kingdom, ha∣ving Thrones with him in the Air, during the time of his judgment.

2. The goats on the left hand shall then be called to receive their doom. No sooner the Saints enthronized, but then shall Christ say, Ye blessed Angels bring hither all those mine enemies, who have said I shall not rule over them, that I may bruise them with my Iron mace, and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel. O the fear and trembling that will now seize on reprobates! do but see the case of prisoners, when the Judge speaks that word, Come Jaylors, bring hither those prisoners to the bar. But alas! what comparison can we make to suite with the condition of these reprobates? now shall their hearts fail them for fear; now shall they seek death (oh 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. As a prisoner in a desperate case had rather remain in his fordid stinking dungeon, than coming into the open air for execution; so the reprobates newly raised from the earth, would fain return again into the earth, glad to remain, though not on the face of it with pleasure, yet in the bowels of it with rottenness and solitude; like malefactors pressing to death, they cry out for more weight, Hills cover us, mountains fall upon us, yet more weight, more rocks, more mountains; hide us, press us, cover us, dispatch us. But all in vain; the command is out, Angels and Devils will force them to the bar, for the Lord hath 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 pri∣soners that stand at the bar in the face of the Judge, so must these reprobates look the Judge and all his Assessors in the very face.

1. For the judge, they shall look on him; Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him. We heard before, that no sooner Christ in the clouds but they saw him then; as the prisoners that see the Judge riding to his Judgment-seat; Oh but now they shall see him in the Judgment-seat ready with sparkling eyes, and thundring voice to speak their sentence. Prisoners at the bar must not turn their backs on the Judge, when he begins their sentence; no more must reprobates; They must see him in Majesty whom they would not deigne to look upon in humility; that by so much more they may feel his power, by how much more they derided his weakness. Oh the difference betwixt Christ's first coming in the flesh, and in his second coming in the clouds; then he came in poverty, now in Majesty; then in humility, now in Glory; then with poor-Shepherds, now with mighty Angels; then the contempt of Nations, now the terror of the World; then crowned with Thorns, now with Majesty; then judged by one man, now judging all men; then as a Lamb, now as a Lyon; oh horror to conceive! how will the sight of this Judge amaze the wicked? and the rather because they shall see him whom they have pierced. Is not this the aggravation of their terror? conceive the guilty man-slayer coming to his tryal, will not the red robes of his Judge make his heart bleed for his blood-shed? doth not that crimson cloath present a monstrous hew before his eyes? O then what sight is this, when the man slain sits in the Judgment-seat? the rosy wounds of our Saviour still bleeding (at it were) in the prisoners presence? well my they hang their heads, but they shall not shut their eyes; They shall see him, saith the Text; yea, they also which pierced him shall see him. This very sight will be as convincing, as if they heard Christ say, Thou art the man that didst murther me, thou art the man hast pierced me, this wound, this skar, and this print of the nails in my hands and feet were thy very doings in thy sin∣ning against me. And who can tell but Christ may speak in some such manner as this! Come all you on the left hand, prepare you for the sentence; I am them an whom you did crucifie afresh; I am he whose person you despised, whose Commands you dis∣obeyed, whose Ministers you abused; whose Servants you hated, whose Offers you re∣jected; and of whom you said, There is no beauty in him that we should desire him. Whatsoever he shall say, this I believe, that Christ's sweet face will be most ter∣rible to the wicked at that day. Oh it will cut them to see him in the judgment-seat whom they basely shut out of doors, preferring a lust before his presence; then will they begin with extreamest grief and bitterness of spirit to sigh and say, Oh, he that I look upon, and must look upon, and cannot choose but look upon: he whom I now see sitting on yonder flaming, white, and glorious Throne, is Jesus Christ, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, that true Messiah, whose precious blood was poured out as water upon the earth, to save his people from their sins: it is he, yea, the self same he that many a time whiles I lived on earth, invited and wooed me by his faithful Ministers, that besought and entreated me with tears of dearest love, to leave my lusts, and to bid the Devil adieu; that knocked again and again at the door of my heart for entrance, offering himself to be my al-sufficient, and everlasting husband, tel∣ling me that if I would but have embraced him, at this time should have been the so∣lemnity of the marriage, and now he would have set an immortal crown of bliss and glory upon my head with his own Almighty hand; but I alas! like a wilful desperate wretch forsook my own mercy, judged my self unworthy of everlasting life, and wretch∣edly and cruelly against my own soul, persecuted all the means which should have sancti∣fied me, and all the Ministers which should have saved me, as instruments in the hands of Christ; and now happy I, if I were an hundred thousand millions of miles distant from this sight of Jesus Christ: oh that these eyes in my head were holes again, as they were but even now when I was rotting, or rotten in the grave! oh that I could turn any way aside from this glorious sight! oh that I were a Stone, or Tree, or Air, or any other thing that wanted eyes! oh that I had no eye within, nor understanding faculty to con∣ceive of Christ, or to know Christ Jesus as my Judge, now ready to bid me go to Hell! cer∣tainly these will be the woful wishes of the wicked, when they shall look on Christ as sitting on his Throne of Judgement.

2. For the Saints, they shall look on them. Indeed they sit so near their Saviour, that they cannot look on him, but they must look on them; the Saints are on their Thrones, either in the Throne or about the Throne of Jesus Christ, and the repro∣bates stand in a direct opposite line to the Saints, so that their eyes cannot be off them; It is said in the parable, that the rich man being in Hell, He lift up his eyes, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom; but the distance being so great as Hea∣ven and Hell, that cannot be litterally understood, but onely parabolically; it is otherwise here, for howsoever the separation be already made, yet neither is the sen∣tence, nor execution past upon the reprobates; and indeed as yet, both the Saints and reprobates are in the Air; the one on the right hand, and the other on the left hand of Jesus Christ, and therefore they cannot but have a full view of each other. In the Apocriphal book there is a plain description of this view, Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his Labours; and when they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed 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 somtimes in a derision, and a proverb of reproach; we fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honour; how is he numbred among the chil∣dren of God, and his lot is amongst the Saints? Here is a sight that will trouble and amaze the wicked, that those who sometimes were their footstools should now be on Thrones; that poor Lazarus who lay at the gates of that certain rich man, should now shine like a Star near the Sun of Righteousness; that they who were reproached, reviled, massacred, murthered by them, should now be their Judges, joyning with Jesus Christ to sentence them to Hell. Oh who can conceive the terrible thoughts of these men's hearts! now the world cannot help them, their old companions cannot help them, the Saints neither can, nor will; onely the Lord Jesus can; but Oh! there is the soul-killing misery, he will not; Ye Men, and Devils (saith Christ) joint-heirs of Hell, fit fuel for eternal fire, look on us in our Thrones, time was we could not have a look from you; Christ and Christians were an abhorrency of spirit unto you, you troad us under foot, but now we are got above you; oh see the vast difference betwixt us and you; look on us, look on me and my Saints! see us on our Thrones, see us glittering in glory; and be confounded and amazed for ever.

4. A particular strict account shall be then required, and given. Of what you will say? I Answer—

1. Of sins: Come (will Christ say) Now confess all your sins before all the world; time was that you consealed your sins, but now every sin shall be laid open before God, Angels, and Men; and now is the black Book of their consciences opened, wherein appears all their sins original and actual; of Omission and Commission. For omissions of duties all those shall be discovered. Christ hungry, and I gave him no meat; Christ thirsty, and I gave him no drink; Christ a stranger, and I lodged him not; Christ naked, and I cloathed him not; Christ sick, and in prison, and I visited him not. And for commissions of evils, all those shall be discovered. These and these sins I committed in my child-hood, youth, ripe age, old age: these were my gross sins, Blasphemy, perjury, Idolatry, robbery, drunkenness, uncleaness, prophaneness, &c. and these were my less sins, anger, hatred, envy, distrust, impatience, pride, presumption, contention, derision, inconstancy, hypocrisie, &c. Oh the numberless number of evil thoughts, words and deeds that now are laid open. In the black book is not on∣ly written all sins done, but all such sins as were intended and purposed to be done; All the projects of the heart, though never acted, must now be discovered. Men little think of this; if I should tell you of such designs that died in your hearts, and never came out to light; you would be now ready to say, Tush, I never did such a thing, I onely intended it, or had some thoughts about it, and what then? why then those very thoughts, secrets, purposes, 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 took notice of, either before, or at, or after the commission of them, shall this day come out. Conscience is such a kind of private Notary or Secretary, that it keeps notes or records of all acts and deeds, whether you observe them or no; conscience hath the Pen of a ready Writer, and takes in short-hand, and in an illegible character,

from your mouths as fast as you speak, and from your hearts as fast as you contrive. Consciences writing (saith one) is not now legible; as that which is written with the juice of a Lemmon is not to be read by day-light, but against the sire by night you may read it; so consciences writing cannot now be read, but in that day when Heaven and Earth are set on fire, this book shall be opened, and the cypher be discovered. Oh 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 hath imparted to reprobates, must now be given. Some have the gifts of the world; as riches, honours, 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, policy, learning; now of all these gifts they must give an account. Come you that are rich (saith Christ) render you an account of your stewardship; how have you spent your riches? The like will he say to the honourable, and to those in places of authori∣ty; Oh remember you were in authority, and office, and place, but what service did you to me, or my members? you had wisdom, and learning, and knowledg, and understand∣ing conferred upon you, but what good had the Church or Common-Wealth by it? 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, how were these improved? I believe many a sad answer will be given to Christ of these things, riches mis-spent, and health mis-spent, and wisdom, policy, learning, gifts, and parts mis-spent; O consider it! if the Factor after many years spent in forreign Countries, at last returns home without his reckonings, who will not blame him for his negligence? but when his Master calls him to account, and he finds nothing but a bill of expences, this in courting, that in seasting: who laughs not at so fond a reckoning? Thus many pass the time of their life as a time of mirth, then when they return to their Lord again, behold all their accounts are sins, their profits vanities.

3. I shall add one thing more; not onely of gifts Temporal, but of all blessings spi∣ritual, though but tendred, and offered, must all give an account. Oh the sad ac∣counts that many a soul will make of these things! methinks I hear some wicked wretch confessing thus to Christ; True Lord, I lived at such a time when the Sun of the Gospel shone bright in my face; and in such a place where all was Goshen; I lived under such a ministery, who set before me life, and death; many and many a powerful, and searching Sermon have I heard; any one passage whereof (if I had not wickedly and wilfully forsaken my own mercy) might have been unto me the beginning of the new Birth, and everlasting bliss. Sometimes in the use of the means I felt stirrings or strong workings in my heart, and then I was fully purposed to have been another man, to have cleaved to Christ, and to have forsook the World; I was almost resolved to have been wholly for God, I was almost perswaded to be a real Christian; Oh what thoughts were in my heart when such a faithful Minister pressed the truth home? methinks every Sermon I heard then, is now a preaching again; methinks I hear still the voice of the Minister, methinks I see still his tears dropping down his cheeks; Oh how fresh is the reproof, admonition, exhortation of such, and such a Preacher now in my mind? oh how earnestly did he intreat me! with what love and tender compassion did he beseech me: how did his bowels yearn over me! how strongly did he convince me, that all was not well with my sin-sick soul! how plainly did he rip up all my sores! and open to me all my secrets, and my whole heart! but alas within a while I made a jest of all, I hardened my heart against all, I sti∣fled all his convictions, I shut my eyes against his discoveries; I cared neither for the Minister, nor any thing he said, or did. And yet here is not all, not onely the Mini∣sters of Christ, but the Spirit of Christ sometimes speak to my heart; I remember at such a time Christ himself (as it were) condescended, and bowed the Heavens, and came down to intreat me for my souls health; oh the strivings of the Spirit of Christ, as if he had been loath to have took a denial! O Christ, I remember thy words, when thou cryedst to me, open sinner, open thy heart to thy Saviour, and I will come in, and sup with thee, and thou with me. Why sinner, are thy lust's better than I? thy carnal pleasures better than I? thy worldly commodities better than I? why sinner, what dost thou mean? how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? O take pity on thy Jesus! for here I stand, and wait at the door of thy heart, and my head is filled with the dew, and my looks with the drops of the night. But Alas! I resisted Christ and his Spirit; O thou Judge

and Saviour of all thine Elect, I dealt churlishly with thee, I tyred out thy patience, I gave thee a repulse, I told thee I had entertained other lovers, and I would have none of thee; I troad on councel, I trampled thy precious blood under my feet; and now I am ex∣pecting no other but to eat the fruit of my own way. Now mayst thou accomplish thy Word, because I set at naught all thy counsels, and would none of thy reproof, therefore thou mayst laugh at my calamity, and mock now my fear cometh. Lo, here the confessions of sins. Every thing now comes out, for Christ will have it so, as a preparative to his doom upon them.

5. Christ and his Saints proceed to sentence. First, Christ the chief Judge shall pro∣nounce it, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone, vengeance and wo; 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 wicked devils, and they insulting over them with hellish spight and stinging exprobations.

Give me leave a little to enlarge upon these words. No sooner Christ begins the sentence, Depart from me] but methinks I imagine the reprobates to reply; how? depart from thee? why O Christ, thou art all things, and therefore the loss of thee is the loss of all things; thou art the greatest good; and therefore to be deprived of thee is the greatest evil; thou art the very Centre, and perfect rest of the Soul, and therefore to be pulled from thee is the most cruel separation: we were made by thee, and for thee, O let us never be divided from thee; we were made according to thy Image, O never drive us from our glorious pattern; Away, away (saith Christ) ye have no part in me, or in my merits, never speak, or intreat me any more, but depart from me. But secondly, they may reply again, if we must depart, and depart from thee, at least give us thy blessing before we go, thou hast great store of blessings to give, and we hope thou hast one yet in store for us, we crave but a small thing, but a blessing. O it is a little one; thou art our Father (witness our Creation) and it is a chief property of a Father to bless his children. No, depart from me ye Cursed, in place of a blessing take the full curse of your Father, you have been most prodigal and disobedient children: you have followed him who had my first curse; and now share ye curses with him, cursed be you in your souls, and in your bodies; and in your thoughts, and in your words, and in the hainousness of your sins, and in the grievousness of your punishment. But thirdly, if we must depart from thee, and depart accursed, yet ap∣point us some meet and convenient place to go into; Create a fruitful piece of ground, and let a goodly Sun daily shine upon it; let it have sweet and wholsome air, and be stored with fruits, and flowers, of all formes and colours; give us the variety of Creatures for our uses; O if we must go from thee, the source and fountain of hea∣venly sweetness, and afford us some plenty of earthly pleasures, which may in some sort recompence our pain of loss, speak but the word, and such a place will presently start up, and shew it self. No, depart from me ye cursed into fire; though fire natu∣rally burns not Spirits, yet I will lift and elevate this fire above its nature; you have sinned against nature, and I will punish you above nature; Fire? alas that ever we were born! who is able to rest in fire? the very thought of it already burns us. Of all the creatures appointed by God to be the Instruments of revenge, fire and wa∣ter have the least mercy. But Fourthly, if we must into fire, let the sentence stand but for a very short time; quench the fire quickly, half an hour will seem a great while there; No, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire; it was kindle by my breath, and it hath this property among other strange qualities, that it is an unquench∣able Fire; as long as I am God it shall endure, and ye broyl in it; and when I cease to be happy, then shall ye cease to be miserable. O wo is us! what? to live in a fire per∣petually without all end, or hope of end?—Yea Fifthly, allot us then some com∣forters, whose smooth and gentle words may sweeten our torments, or somewhat dull the most keen edge of our extremity: O let the Angels recreate us with Songs and hymns of thee, and of thy blessedness, that we may hear that sweetly delivered which others fully enjoy: No, no; depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepa∣red for the Devil and his Angels: they shall be your comforters, they that will triumph in your miseries, they that are your deadly, desperate enemies; they that will tell you by what deceits and by-ways they led you from me, and that will give you every hour new names of scorn and horrible reproach. O sentence not to be endured, and yet never,

never must it be reversed. O my brethren, I tremble at the very mentioning of this sentence, and O what will they do on whom it must pass? I beseech you before we pass from it, will you ask but your souls this one question! what, can you dwell with everlast∣ing fire? if you can, you may go on in sin; but if you cannot, why then stop here, and repent of sin: O now say, if this be the effect of sin, Lord pardon what is past, and O give me grace that I may sin no more, as sometimes I have done. Methinks if a temptation should come again for ordinary entertainment, you should fright it away with the remembrance of these powerful words, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

2. 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 controversie; 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 cometh with twelve thousand of his Saints, to execute judgment upon all. Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels? not only shall we judge the World, but the God of the World; the Principalities and Powers that captive wicked men at their pleasure; even they must be judged by those whom they formerly soyled; 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 am apt to think, that it shall not be directly known, ere it be seen or done. I shall only relate what others say to this point, and so leave you to your liberty of judg∣ing what is right.

1. Some say that the Saints shall judge the World by presenting their persons and actions, by comparing their good examples with the evil examples of all the Repro∣bates; and so, they shall convince and condemn the World. Behold the Lord com∣eth with Ten thousand of his Saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them; This I conceive to be a truth, yet surely this is not all truth.

2. Others say, that the Saints shall judge the World by way of indicting, implead∣ing, accusing witnessing, &c. And I conceive it may be thus too; the Saints of the Law more especially accusing the breakers of the Law, by the Law. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father, there is one that accuseth you to the Father, there is one that accu∣seth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. And the Saints of the Gospel more especially judging the prophaners of the Gospel, by the Gospel: in that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel. This likewise is truth, but I be∣lieve as yet we have not the whole truth.

3. Others say, that the Saints shall judge the World after the manner of exaltation, glorying, and rejoycing to see the vengeance. The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. But this their exulting be∣ing a constant and perpetual act, not for a time, but for eternity, methinks this present act should be yet somewhat more.

4. Others say, that the Saints shall judge the World by way of assession, assent, vote, suffrage, comprobation, and the like subordinate, and conformable acts. And I heard another out of the Altar say, even so Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judg∣ments. —And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Allelujah, salvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments; this certainly is truth, and commonly so received, yet neither is this all truth.

5. Others say, that the Saints shall judge the World (i.e.) Christ in the Saints, and the Saints in Christ. He in them by those Infallible principles of Divine Justice which are imprest in them; and they in him, by those inseparable bounds of union, whereby they wholly relate to him: or he and they together as head and members, the act of the head imputed to the members, and the act of the members acknowledged by the head; his Judiciary Act (especially as from his Mediatorship and Manhood) having a peculiar influ∣ence upon them; and their Judiciary act (in a perfect conformity, though not any ab∣solute proportion) having a peculiar reference to him. And methinks those Texts of Mat. 19.28. Jude 14.15. speak there of Christs, and of the Saints judgment, as of one joynt act.

Oh what terror will be to all wicked men? when not only Christ, but all the Saints shall say of them, away with them, away with them, let them be damned. You

that are Fathers, it may be that your Children will thus sentance you, I remember when the Jews told Christ, that he cast out Devils through Belzebub the Prince of Devils, he answered, If I through Belzebub cast out Devils, by whom do your Children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. They liked well enough of the Miracles of their Children who were the Disciples of Christ, but they could not endure them in Christ; and therefore he tells them, that their Children, whom God hath 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 estate, your very Children shall be your judges, and condemn you to Hell. But of that anon.

6. In this doom which Christ and his Saints shall pass on Reprobates, our Saviour tells us of some reasonings betwixt him and them; I was an hungred (saith Christ) and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink, &c.—Then shall they answer, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? and then shall he answer them, ve∣rily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. As if Christ should have said, time was that I was under reproach, misery, calamity, necessity; I lay at your doors like Lazarus full of sores, and as I thought nothing too, much for you, so I expected also something from you; but oh cruelty to see thy Christ an hungred and not to feed him? to see thy Christ a thirst, and not to cool, or quench his thirst? to see thy Christ a stranger, and not to give him a nights lodging? to see thy Christ naked, and not to cover him with a garment, who would gladly have covered thee with the robe of righteousness, the garment of Sal∣vation? O monstrous inhumane heart? O prodigious wretch! who among the Hea∣thens ever dealt thus with their Idols? have any of the Nations starved their Gods, turned them out of doors? and must I only be slighted? away Reprobates! you had no mercy on me, and now I laugh at your calamity: surely he shall have judg∣ment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; They stand wondering at this, and cannot remember that ever they saw Christ in such a condition; Why Lord, (say they) when saw we thee an hungred, or thirsty, or naked? art thou not he that rose again from the dead, and ascended on high, and ever since hast been exalted above the highest Cherubims, a name being given thee above every name, at which name to this day, but especially now on this day, every knee doth bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; how then could we see thee in such a condition? is not this thy second coming in glory? and were we alive at thy first coming in hu∣mility? how can this be? oh how shouldst thou charge us with unkindness to thy self? surely if we had known thee in need, we would have given thee of thy own, thou shouldst never have wanted what things we enjoyed, but thou shouldst have commanded both us and them. To which our Saviour replyes, O deceitfull, ignorant, and stupid souls! have you no better learned Christ than so? am not I Head of the Church, and can the Head be without Members? Verily, if you had loved, relie∣ved, or done good to them, you had done so to me; but in being uncharitable to them, you were no less unto me. Never say you would have been thus, and thus kind to Christ, whiles you were unkind to Christians: herein lies the deceitfulness of your hearts; O they are deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked, who can know them? but I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his wayes, and according to the fruit of his doings; In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of my members, ye did it not to me, and therefore get you down into Hell, and get you out of my presence; take them Devils, away with them Angels to the Devil and his Angels for ever.

These are the reasonings betwixt Christ and Reprobates; and if so, may we not imagine the like between Saints and Reprobates? is there not the same reason of rea∣soning betwixt them and the inferior Judges, as betwixt them and the supreme Judg? for my part I cannot conceive, but if we admit of such disputes betwixt Christ and them, well may there be the like disputes, arguings, and reasonings betwixt Saints and them: for they had on earth more familiarity, converse, and communi∣on together; some of them it may be, were in near and dear relations to each other; and now that one shall judge the other to eternal flames, oh what passages will be be∣twixt them? I shall instance in our nearest relations upon earth, as of Masters and

Servants, Parents, and Children, Husbands, and Wives, Ministers and People; no question but in these very relations some shall judge, and others be judged; our Saviour tells us, There shall be two men in one bed, the one shall be taken, the other shall be left; two women shall be grinding at one Mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left; two men shall be together in the Field, the one shall be taken, aad the other left; wherein the Lord seems to shew that God's Election doth extend it self to all sorts of persons, and separates the most. They shall not be saved by Families, as in Noah's time, but one frie•••• shall be taken by Christ into Heaven, and another left for the Devil to carry into Hell. Give me leave but to enlarge on those reasonings, or dis∣courses that we may imagine will be now betwixt these several relations. As—

1. Betwixt Master and Servant; if the Master be the Saint, and his Servant the Reprobate, then shall the Master say, O thou wicked Servant, how many a time did I call on thee to duty? how often have I told thee that I would have thee to be God's Servant as well as mine? how often came that word to thy ears; Servants obey your Masters in all things according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God? how often was that precious Word laid close to thy conscience, He that doth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he doth; but in doing service to me as to the Lord, thou shouldst of the Lord receive the reward of the In∣heritance, for in such service thou didst serve the Lord Christ? but thou wouldst not be warned, and now thou art justly condemned; I say Amen to Christ's Sentence; get thee down to Hell, and there serve Satan, and receive his wages in fire and Brim∣stone for ever.—Or if the Servant be the Saint, and his Master the Reprobate, then shall the Servant say, O my quondam Master, how many a time hast thou tyran∣nized it over me? how didst thou use me, or abuse me to serve thy own lusts and corruptions? many a time I had strong desires to waite upon God in the use of publick and private Ordinances; this morning, and that evening, I would have ser∣ved my Master the Lord Jesus Christ, but thou wouldst not spare me one hours time for prayer, reading, meditation, &c. I was ever faithful in thy service, going to bed late and rising early; The drought consumed me by day, and the frost by night, and my sleep many a time departed from mine eyes; surely God hath seen my affliction, and the labour of my hands, and now he hath rebuked thee: dost thou not observe the ad∣mirable justice and righteousness of Christ in the sentences past on us both? remem∣ber that thou in thy life-time received thy good things, and I received evil things; but now I am comforted, and thou must be tormented. I now serve a better Master; after my weeks work with thee, I shall keep a perpetual Sabbath with God; but go thou with thy old companions from thy glorious Mansion to a loath∣some dungeon; from thy table of surfeit, to a table of vengeance; from thy faithfull Servants, to afflicting Spirits; from thy bed of doun, to a bed of fire; from soft linnen and silken coverings, to wish a rock for thy pillow, and a mountain for thy coverlet.

2. Betwixt Parent and Child; if the Parent be the Saint, and the Child the Re∣probate; then shall the Parent say, O thou wicked, rebellious Son! or O thou wicked, rebellious, and disobedient daughter! it is I that begot thee, or that brought thee forth; that during thy Infancy, laid thee in my bosom, and dandled thee on my knee, and carried thee in my arms, and set thee as a seal upon my heart; that during thy minority fed thee, and apparelled thee and trained thee up in manners, learning a particular calling, and especially in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and then when I saw thy untowardness of spirit, and thy breakings out into things forbidden by God and man, O the admonitions, reprehensions, corrections! O the many thousands of warnings that I gave thee of this day, and of the wrath to come! and yet thou wentest on in thy stubbornness, till thou becamest many and many a time a grief of mind, a bitterness of spirit unto me: and then how often did I mind thee of thy duty. Children obey your Parents in all things. Honour thy Father and Mother, which is the first Commandment with promise. The eye that mock∣keth his Father, and despiseth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the Vally shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall eat it. But alas, all these expressions made no sa∣ving impression on thy hardned heart, thy brow was Brass, and thy sinew of Iron, thou wast ever stiff-necked, and now thou art justly damned; I cannot but approve of Christ's judgment upon thee; though thou camest out of my bowels, yet now I have no pity, no bowels of compassion towards thee; the glory of God hath so

swallowed up all my natural affections, that I cannot but laugh at thy calamity, and joy in thy damnation; I gave thee a body, and God himself gave thee a Soul; but now let the Devils have both, and torment them in Hell; be gone! I shall never see thee again—Or if the Child be the Saint, and the Parent the Reprobate, then shall the Child say, O unworthy Parent; unworthy of everlasting life! I had my natu∣ral being from thee, but my Spiritual being was from the Lord; if I had followed thy steps, I had been everlastingly damned; did I not know thy ignorance, thy un∣belief, thy worldliness, thy covetousness, thy pride, thy malice, thy lust, thy luke∣warmness, thy impatiency, thy discontentment, thy vain-glory, thy self-love; didst not thou often check me for my forwardness, and zeal, and holiness in Religion? didst not thou ask me, what, art thou wiser than the rest of the neighbour-hood? are there not many gray hairs amongst us, whose wisdom and experience thou hast not yet attained? and canst not thou walk on soberly towards heaven, and either do as the most, or keep pace with the wisest? what, have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on Christ? oh I shall ever remember to the praise and glory of Christ, what discouragements I had, and yet how the Lord pluckt me as a fire-brand out of the fire; and now hath the Lord set me on the Throne to judge thee accord∣ing to thy demerits; and therefore I joyn with him, who is the Father of Spirits, against the Father of my flesh; depart, go to the Gods whom thou hast served, and see if they will help thee in the day of thy calamity.

3. Betwixt Husband and Wife; now if the Husband be the Saint, and the Wife the Reprobate, then shall the Husband say; Thou art she whom I knew in the flesh, whom I dearly affected with my heart and soul; whom I nourished and cherished as my own body; thou art she that was the Wife of my bosom, as near and dear to me as my heart in my bosom; thou wast my companion, my yoke-fellow, and my ve∣ry delight: but oh! I could never rule thee, lead thee, guide thee in the way of life, in the path that is called holy: many a time have I wooed, sued, and sought to gain thy soul to that blessed Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, many a time have I prayed with thee, and for thee; many a time have I stirred thee up to hear the Word, to waite upon God in the use of all means publick and private; and instead of imbraces, or yieldings to these blessed motions, I have met with contentions and jars, as a continual dropping in a very rainy day; but death hath dissolved that knot, so that now I am no more thy Husband; this is the day of separation, and I shall no more consort with thee; at the Resurrection there is no use of Marriage, but now I am to live as an Angel in Heaven; and because thou wouldst not draw with me in Christ's yoke, now therefore adue for ever and ever; we shall never more lye in one bed, or sit at one board, or walk in one Field, or grind at one mill; thou hast lost me, and thou hast lost Jesus Christ, two husbands in one day; go now and take thy choice in Hell! thou art free from us, but thou shalt be bound there with indissoluble bonds to the Devill and his Angels—Or if the Wife be the Saint, and the Husband the Re∣probate, then shall the Wife say; Thou art he who I looked upon as my second-self, my head, my governour, my helper, my husband; for whom I was willing to for∣sake my native home, Fathers house, dear Relations, of Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, and many comforts in that kind; and I expected to have found new matter, and a continued influence of comfort, and delight in a marriage-state; but oh the vexations of Spirit! hadst thou not almost drawn me away from Jesus Christ? was I not forced through many provocations sometimes to break out and say, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me? many a time I cryed out, O my Husband when wilt thou set up the rich and royal trade of grace in thy Family? when wilt thou exercise prayer, reading, catechizing, conference, days of humiliation, and other houshold holy duties? oh for doing something to assure our souls of meeting to∣gether hereafter in heaven! But alas! it would not be; and now see the effect: here I stand like a Queen, deck't and adorn'd with cloth of Gold, with rayment of nee∣dle-work, with the white robe of Christ's righteousness; so that the King of Hea∣ven greatly desires my beauty, and my soul is this day marryed to Christ; I acknow∣ledge him, and no other Husband in the world; and for thee who refused to joyn with me in the worship of God, now God hath refused thee: fare well, or fare ill for ever.

4. Betwixt Minister and some of his people at least: if the people be as so many Saints, and the Minister the Reprobate, then shall the people say: O thou art the

man that undertookest that high and mighty calling of feeding souls with the Word of life; but now are thy sins written in thy fore-head, for either thou run'st before thou wast sent, or being sent, thou hast been exceeding negligent in the gift that was in thee: Didst not thou prophesie in Baal, and cause God's people to erre? didst thou not studiously and mainly seek for the Fleece, not regarding respectively the Flock? didst not thou strengthen the hands of evil-doers in Preaching peace, peace to wicked men? wast thou not prophane, and wicked, and loose in thy life, and by that means ledst many thousands to hell! O thou bloody Butcher of Souls; hadst thou been faithful in thy Ministry, well might those damned Compa∣nions about thee have escaped the flames! but they are doomed to death, and now thou mayest hear their cries, and grievous groans, and complaints against thee, this was the man set over us to give us the bread of Life, but oh Christ, did he not fail us? did he not feed us with unprofitable matter, fables, conceits, airy sentences, ra∣ther than any thing tending to godly edifying, which is in faith? did not our tongues, and the tongues of our Children stick to the roof of our mouths in calling and crying for bread, for the bread of life, and he would not pity us? we gave him the tenths which thou appointed, but he gave not us thy truth, which thou didst command him; why Lord Christ, thou Judge of all the world, didst not thou bid him feed, feed, feed? didst thou not bid him feed the flock committed to his charge? didst not bid him preach the word, be instant in season, and out of season, reprove, rebuke, ex∣hort with all long-suffering? and notwithstanding all thy commands, did he not mi∣serably starve us? instead of feeding us unto salvation, hath he not starved many thou∣sands of us to our destruction. O Christ, thou that art the judge of Nations, and the revenger of blood! reward thou this man, as he hath rewarded us; he led us in the ways of wickedness, and (if it must be so) let him be our ring-leader to Hell; and upon his soul once buryed in Hell, let this be the Epitaph, the price of blood, the price of blood; if thou didst hear the blood of Abel, being but one man, forget not the blood of many, now thou art judging the earth. Why thus do the damned cry about thine ears; and as for us, (say the Saints) who were once thy people, but now thy Judges, we consent to their cry, and to our Saviours doom, go ye cursed into ever∣lasting fire.

Men, Brethren, and Fathers, I begin thus with the Ministers doom, that you may see I would deal impartially; and verily I believe it, if our case come to this, we of the Ministry shall be in a thousand times worse condition than any of you; for besides the horrour due to the guilt of our own souls, all the blood of those souls who have perished under our Ministry, through our default, will be laid to our charge; little do you know, or consider the burthen that lies upon us, a burthen able to make the shoul∣ders of the most mighty Angel in heaven to shrink under it. Chrysostome was a glori∣ous Saint, yet casting his eye upon one only Text in the Bible, Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your selves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, He professeth that the terror of this Text made his heart tremble. Surely it is enough to make our hearts tremble, if we seriously weigh our terrible doom, in case that we should miscarry.

But now on the other side, if the Minister be the Elect, and sentenc'd to salvation; and many of his people prove no better than Reprobates, then shall the Minister say, O miserable souls, now you feel the truth of those comminations, and curses which we opened and unfolded, and discovered to you out of God's Word! We dealt plainly with you, that the unrighteous should not inherit the Kingdom of God: we advised you again and again, be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolators, nor Adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor Theeves, nor Covetuous, nor Drun∣kards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdome of God: and such were you, and notwithstanding all our threats, warnings, intreatings, beseechings, thus ye lived, and thus ye dyed; and there is the issue, Christ now hath doomed you to hell, and here am I set on a throne to judge your souls; for the Saints shall judge the World as well as Christ himself; Oh what shall I do? Oh my bowels, my bowels! here's a case beyond all the former, each of them according to their relations judge another; but here's a multitude, not one, or two, or ten, or an hundred, but many hundreds, or thousands, according to the number of such and such Congregations, where I have preached.

In Christ's reasonings with the wicked we have heard of his sayings, and their an∣swers,

and of his replications to their answers, much said on both sides to and again; I may suppose the like here. O what shall I do (says the Minister) what doom shall I pass on this Assembly of Reprobates? can I absolve them whom the righteous God hath condemned? can I say, come along with me to heaven, now Christ hath said, go ye cursed into hell? and oh now shall I turn my speech from my wonted wooing, be∣seeching, intreating, exhorting, to a direct dooming, damning, condemning these souls to the pit of hell? sometimes indeed I opened to these souls the armoury of God's wrath. I thundred and lightned in their Congregations; but my design was to fright them out of hell-fire, and knowing the terrours of the Lord to have perswaded them towards heaven, and heavenly things; but now if I speak condemnation, no sooner shall I speak, but their souls will sink down to hell; O miserable souls, what shall I say? or what can you say for your selves? Then shall they answer; Oh Sir, do not you aggravate the torment by your condemnation; the weight of Christ's doom is already unsupportable, but will you adde more weight? Why remember, we are some of us (it may be) of your flesh and blood; many a time you told us that you unfeignedly loved us; and that we were dearer to you then all worldly enjoyments; many a time you told us that you were willing to spend your self for us, as the candle that burns it self to give others light; you were pleased to bestow your prayers, tears, sighs, groans for our souls; your very Books and Writings were high expressions, and abid∣ing monuments of your dear love to us; you weighed not your strength and spirits in comparison of our souls; and shall this fair comical scean end in a dismal, doleful, bloody Tragedy? would you do or suffer any thing to save us, and will you now con∣demn us? Oh forbear!

Ah no, (saith the Minister) I cannot forbear; all is true that you say, I loved you dearly, and I was willing to spend, or to be spent for you; but this aggravates the more; ah my travail, pains, books, writings, words, fears, sighs, groans are in one vo∣lume together, and this volume has been opened this day, and now is the question put; what have you profited by all my words, prayers, tears, sighs, and groans? is not all lost? and are not your souls lost? and now do you tell me of love? what, did I ever love you more then Christ loved you? were the drops of my tears to be compared with the showers of his blood? were my pains for you equal with the pains of his Cross? and hath he not condemned you to hell? and shall not I be like-minded to Jesus Christ? Surely the Lord's will must be my will; he hath already judged you, and he will make me to judge you; so far am I from pitying you, that if he that formed you will shew you no mercy, if he that saves me, and all the Elect people of God, will not save you, can I pity you, or save you, or discent from Jesus in his sentence upon you? speak no more of flesh, and blood, of labours, of love, Christ's Sentence must stand, and as I am a member of Christ, and a Minister of Christ, I cannot but approve of it, and so judge you to hell.

Why then (say Reprobates) we will curse thee, and blaspheme Jesus Christ in hell for ever; cursed be the time that ever we heard of Jesus Christ, or that ever we knew thee, or thy Ministry; do not thy Sermons send us deeper into hell? had it not been easier for us at this day of judgment if we had lived in Tyre and Sydon, where the Gos∣pel never was Preached? didst not thou harden our hearts in such and such Sermons, when the Word came home? didst not thou deny us the seals which might have been for confirmation of our souls salvation? didst thou not estrange thy self from us in respect of any inward, intimate, and familiar society, which thou affordest to others? doth not the event plainly shew, that all thy tears, prayers, words, and works, as in re∣ference to us, were hypocrisie, flattery, deceit, dissimulation? Oh cursed be the day that ever we lived under such a Ministry, or that ever we heard of Jesus Christ.

Nay then (saith the Minister) it is time for us to part; such were your invectives on earth, and now they are, and will be your language in Hell; but have I not answer'd these cavils many a time? have I not told you that the Word would harden some, and soften others, the fault being in your selves? have I not cleared it that the seals are not to be set upon blanks, and that confirmation could not be without a work of conversion to lead it? and were we not commanded in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw our selves from every brother that walketh disorderly? did not the wise man tell us? he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith, and he that hath fel∣lowship with a proud man shall be like unto him? can a man take fire in his bosome, and his cloaths not be burnt? can a man go upon hot coales, and his feet be not burnt? as

for other cavils, the Lord be judge betwixt you and us; nay the Lord hath been Judge betwixt you and us; lo here we stand on the right hand of Christ, so, here we sit on our Throne to judge you, and that world of wicked men and Angels; let Christ be glori∣ous, and let his sentence stand, and let that word of Judgment never be reversed; he that loveth cursing, let it come upon him; and he that cloatheth himself with cursing as with a gar∣ment, let it come into his bowels like water, and like oyl into his bones? no more, but adieu souls, adieu Reprobates, adieu for ever; you must descend, but we must ascend. Go you to Hell, whiles we mount upwards to Heaven and Glory.

At this last word, down they go, the evil Angels falling like lightning, and evil men haled, and pulled down with them from the presence of God, and Christ, and Angels, and all the blessed ones; even from their fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, children, ministers, servants, lovers, friends, acquaintance; who shall then justly and deservedly abandon them with all detestation and derision; and forgetting all nearness, and dearest obligations of nature, neighbourhood, alliance, any thing, will rejoyce in the execution of divine justice. Oh the shrikes, and horrid crys that now they make, filling the air as they go! Oh the wailings and wringing of hands! Oh the desperate roarings! Oh the hideous yellings, filling heaven, and earth, and hell! But I shall follow them no fur∣ther, no sooner do they fall into the bottomless pit, but presently it shuts her mouth up∣on them, and there I must leave them.

SECT. VII. Of Christ and his Saints going up into heaven, and of the end of this World.

7. FOR Christ and his Saints going up into heaven, and so for the end of this world: no sooner are the Reprobates gone to their place, but the Saints ascend; now Christ ariseth from his judgment-seat, and with all the glorious company of heaven, he marches towards the heaven of heavens. Oh what a comely march is this? what songs of triumph are here sung and warbled? Christ leads the way, the Cherubims attend, the Seraphims wait on, Angels, Arch-angels, Principalities, Powers, Patriarches, Prophets, Priests, Evangelists, Martyrs, Professors, and Confessors of God's Law and Gospel fol∣lowing, attend the Judge, and King of Glory; singing with melody, as never ear hath heard, shining with Majesty as never eye hath seen, rejoycing without measure as never heart conceived. O blessed train of Souldiers! O goodly Troop of Captains! each one doth bear a palm of Victory in his hand, each one doth 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 Hea∣ven; sometimes I have with much wonder and admiration beheld some Regiments pas∣sing our streets; but had I seen those Roman Armies when they returned Victors, and made their solemn Triumphs in the streets of Rome, oh then how should I have then ad∣mired? never was the like sight to this of Christ and his Army in this World. O the comely march they make, through the sky, and through the Orbs, and through all the Heavens, till they come to the Heaven of Heavens! were ever so many glistering Suns together in one day? was ever so many glories together on this side the Kingdom of glo∣ry? not to speak of Christ, or his Angels, O who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an Army with Banners? are not in the head of these Regiments Adam, and Abel, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and all the Patriarchs and all the Prophets, and all the Apostles? And (if thou art a Saint that readest this) art not thou one Son appointed by God amongst the rest to follow Christ? here's enough to fill thy heart with joy before-hand; as sure as yond Sun now shines in the Fir∣mament shalt thou that believest pass by that Sun in its very orb, and by reason of thy glory it shall lose it shine? oh then what spreading of beauty and brightness will be in the heavens as all the Saints go along! what lumps of darkness shall those glittering Stars appear to be, when all the Saints of God shall enter into their several orbs and spheres? and thus as they march along higher, and higher, till they come to the highest, at last heaven opens unto them, and the Saints enter their Masters joy; what is there done at their first entrance, I shall discover another time; only for a while let us look behind us, and see what becomes of this neather World.

No sooner Christ and his company in the Empyreal heaven, but presently this whole world is set on fire; To this prophane Authors seem to assent, As,

1. Philosophers, especially the Stoicks were of this mind. Humor primordium, ex∣itus ignis, said Seneca: Moisture was the beginning, and fire shall be the end of this World. And speaking of the Sun, Moon, and Stars; mark (says he) whatsoever now shines in comely and decent order, shall at last burn together in one fire.

2. The Poets grant this; Lucan speaking of those whom Cesar left unburned at the Battel of Pharsalia; Hos Caesar populos si nunc non urserit ignis, uret cum terris. If fire shall not now burn these, when Heaven and Earth, and all shall burn, then must they burn.—Ovid in like manner, Esse quoque in fatis—quo mare, quo tellus—ardeat. A time shall come, when Sea, and earth, and all the frame of this great World shall be consumed in flame.

3. The Sybills grant this, to which the Roman missal seems to allude, joyning them with the Prophet David, though I know not by what warrant. Dies ira, dies illa, solvet saeculum in favilla, teste David cum Sybilla.

A day of Wrath, a day of fire, So David with the Sybills doth conspire.

But to wave all these, one Text of Scripture is to me more than all these. 2 Pet. 3.10. The Heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fer∣vent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Hence all our Divines agree, that a fire shall seaze on the Universe; only some difference is amongst Divines, whether the World shall be wholly annihilated, or renewed by fire? Jerome and Augustin, and many after them say, the end of this fire is for purifying and refining of the Heaven, and Earth; for all corruptible qualities shall be burnt out of them, but they in their substance shall remain still: if we ask them, to what end shall this neather world be renewed? some say for an habitacle of the restored Beasts; others for a fitter accommodation of men,† and the glorified Saints; others for a perpetual Monument of God's Power and Glory. Polanus and some of our Moderns are of Opinion, that These Heavens and this Earth when purified with those fires, and super-invested with new endowments, they shall be the everlasting habitations of the blessed Saints. But on the contrary, others are of the other opinion, that all the World with all the parts and works (except Men, Angles and Devils, Heaven, and Hell, the two mansions for the saved and damned) shall be totally and finally dissolved and an∣nihilated. And of this opinion were Hilary, Clement, and all the ancients before Jerome; and of our Moderns not a few. For my part I rather incline this way, be∣cause of the many Scriptures that are so express, I shall only mention these.—Man lyeth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more.—Of old thou hast laid the foun∣dations of the Earth, and the Heavens are the works of thy hands, they shall perish, but thou shalt endure. All the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heaven shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all the host shall fall down as the leaf falleth from the Vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree. To which prophesie John seems to allude, And the heavens departed as a scrowl when it is rolled together, and every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places. Again, heaven and earth shall pass away (saith Christ) but my Word shall not pass away—The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night, in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the Ele∣ments shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up.—And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.—and I saw a great white Throne, and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and they was found no place for them. Now I would demand, whether being no more, as Job; and perishing, as David; and rolling together, and falling down like a withered leaf, as Isay; and passing away, as our Saviour, and Peter; and flying away, as John; do not include to utter aboli∣tion? If to these Scriptures I should add one reason, I would argue from the end of the Worlds Creation; was it not partly for the glory of God? and partly for the use of man? now for the glory of God, the manifestation of it is occasioned by the manifestation of the world unto man; if man therefore should be removed out of the world, and no creature in it be capable of such a manifestation, what would be∣come of his glory? And for the use of man, that is either to supply his necessity in matter of dyet, physick, building, apparel; or for his instruction, direction, recrea∣tion, comfort, delight; now when he shall attain that blessed estate of enjoying God,

and seeing God face to face, these ends or the like must needs be frustrate. This argu∣ment is weighty, and we need no more. Only we shall hear an Antagonist's objections and give them their answers, and so conclude.

The Texts more especially objected against this opinion, are two; the first is that in Rom. 8.21. The creature it self shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption in∣to the glorious liberty of the Sons of God: here (say the••) is an earnest expectation, attributed to brute Creatures, that they shall be delivered from the bondage of cor∣ruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God. But I answer, that no immor∣tal being of the brute creatures is here promised, but only a simple deliverance and dismission from the servitude they were in, to ungrateful men. The Birds, Beasts, and Fishes, do now suffer for our dyet; Horses, Mules, and beasts of that nature do now groan under the burthens of our pleasures, or necessities; their annihilation there∣fore to them must needs be a kind of deliverance; and at last they shall be delivered at the time of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God; the Text will bear it thus.† 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Creature shall be delivered by the glorious liberty of the Sons of God. (i.e.) When such a deliverance comes to men, these shall be freed from their servitude by being not at all, having done all the business for which they were ordained, or cre∣ated.

The second Text is that in 2 Pet. 3.13. We look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness. These words (say some) imply a purging, rather than abolishing; a taking off the corrupt qualities only, not the substance. But I am of another mind, and if I must give my sense of the place, I say—

1. Negatively that by new heavens and new earth, is not meant renewed heavens and earth; is it not punctually in the seventh verse, that the heavens and the earth which are now, are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment? and doth he not descend unto particulars in the tenth verse, that the heavens which are now, shall pass away with a great noise? that the Elements shall melt with fervent heat? and that the earth also, and the works therein shall be burnt up? and doth he not infer thereupon in the eleventh and twelfth verses, that all these things shall be dissolved? and in the thir∣teenth verse, that we are therefore to look for new heavens, and a new earth? disso∣lution mends not a fabrick, but destroyes it; how then should that which is dissolved be said to be reserved, and let stand? surely if Peter had thought of this refining only, some words of his would have intimated so much. The end of these creatures was for man's use, and man using them no more, to what end should they be reserved? to say for a monument of what hath been; or for the habitation of the Saints; or for an out-let for the Saints, descending sometimes from the highest heavens to solace them∣selves here below; are but groundless surmises, and deserve no answer at all.

2. Positively, by new heavens, and a new earth, is meant the heaven of heavens, and place of glory. Now these heavens are termed new, not in regard of their new making, but of our new taking possession of them for our new habitation; and they are called heavens and earth, because they come in stead of that heavenly covering, and that earthly habitation which we now enjoy; so that the Text may well bear this paraphrase, we look for new heavens (i.e.) the supreme court of God's presence, and a new earth, (i.e.) a new habitation for us; which shall infinitly exceed the commo∣dities and happiness of these heavens and earth which we now enjoy, thus John in his Revelations. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven, and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more Sea. This new heaven, and new earth is the place or habitation prepared for the blessed Saints and people of God. A new heaven, where the Moon is more glorious then our Son, and the Sun as glori∣ous as he that made it, for it is he himself, the Son of God, the Son of righteousness, the Son of Glory; a new earth, where all their waters are milk, and all their milk honey; where all their grass is corn, and all their corn is Manna; where all their glebe and clods of earth are Gold, and all their Gold of innumerable Carats; where all their minutes are ages, and all their ages Eternity; where every thing is every minute in the higest exaltation as good as can be. Of these new heavens, and this new earth, I can never say enough, not know enough, till I come there to inha∣bit it. Something only we shall discover of it in our next Sections; for now are the Saints entred in with Jesus Christ.

Only one word of use; Christians! what's the matter that we are so busie about this world? why look about you, not one of these visible objects shall that day re∣main

or have a being; those houses wherein we dwell, these Temples wherein we meet, this Town, this Country, this Isle, and the Seas and waters that surround it, shall be all on fire, and consume to nothing; the Sea shall be no more, and time shall be no more, or if we look higher, yond Sun, and Moon, and Star, shall be no more; that glorious Heaven which rolls over our heads, shall be rolled together as a scrol, and all the hoast shall fall down as a leaf falleth from the Vine, and as a falling Fig from the Fig-Tree:—the heavens shall vanish away like smoak (saith Isaiah) commi∣nuentur in nihilum (as Hierome reads it) they shall be battered into nothing. Alas! alas! what do we toyling 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 here was Preston, or here was London, or here was England, or here was Europe, or here was the Globe of Earth on which men troad: let others b••ast as they will of their inheritances, but Lord give me an inheritance above all these vi∣sibles; heaven shall remain, when earth shall vanish; that Empyreal Heaven, those seats of Saints, those mansions above, prepared by Jesus Christ shall never end, but for my riches, lands, possessions moveables, goods, real or personal, they will end in smoak, in nothing; what? wilt thou set thine eyes upon a thing that is not? upon this the primitive Christians took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, it was but a loss a little before the time, and they knew in themselves that they had in heaven a better, and an enduring substance. O let this be our care! here we have no abiding City, but O let's seek one to come, even that one that will abide for ever and ever, Amen.

SECT. VIII. Of Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.

8. FOR Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God, even the Fa∣ther, no sooner is he in heaven but these things follow.—

1. He presents the Elect unto his Father, of this the Apostle speaks, you hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and unproveable in his sight; to this end Christ dyed that he might wash us and cleanse us by his blood, and then that he might present us without spot unto his Father. We may imagine Christ as going to his Father with his bride in his hand, and saying thus, O my Father, here is my Church, my Spouse, my Queen; here are the Saints concerning whom I covenanted with thee from Eternity, concerning whom I went down from heaven, and dyed on earth, and ascending up I have interceded these ma∣ny hundred years; concerning whom I went down to Judge the World, and ha∣ving sentenced them to life eternal, I now bring them in my hand to give them the possession of thy self. These are they whom thou gavest me in the beginning of the World, and now I restore them to thy self at the end of the World, for they are thine. Thus he presents them to his Father. Indeed we read that Christ presents the Saints to himself, as well as to his Father, Christ loved the Church and gave him∣self for it,—that he might present it to himself, a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle; but this I take it was done before; when first a Soul believes, it is contracted to Christ, when the soul is sentenced to glory, then is the solemnity, and consum∣mation of the Marriage, then doth Christ present the Soul to himself; and I know not but that the Ministers of Christ may have a part in this matter, for I have espoused you to one husband (said Paul to his Corinthians) that I may present you as a chast Vir∣gin to Christ.

And after this when Christ takes the bride home, brings her into Heaven, and leads her by the hand into his Fathers presence; then is his last presentation, then he pre∣sents her faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. The word signifies leaping, springing, exalting joy: O what springing, leaping, exalting is in heaven, when Christ takes the hand of his Bride and gives her into the hand of his Father; q. d. O my Father, see what a number I have brought home to thee; thou knowest what I have done, and what I have suffered, and what offices I have gone through, to bring these hither; and now my Mediatourship is done, I resign all my charge to thee again; see what a goodly Troop, what a noble Army I have

brought thee home, why all these are mine, and all mine are thine, and all thine are mine, and I am glorified in them; all those that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost; see here is Adam, and Abel, and Noah, and Sem, and every Saint from the beginning to the end of the World, the Nuptial between them and me is solem∣nized? and whither should I lead them but to my Father's house, and into my Father's presence? I have already pronounced them blessed, and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. Here take them from mine hands, now give them a welcome into glory, and let them know that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

2. He presents all his Commissions to his Father, as he is a Mediatour (at least by Destination) from all Eternity; were not the Saints chosen in Christ before the foun∣dation of the World? then was he a Mediatour in the business of Election, and then was he Predestinated to be a Mediatour of Reconciliation. I was set up from Ever∣lasting, (i.e.) I was appointed and designed to be a Mediatour from all Eternity. How∣soever he was a Mediatour virtually and inchoatively from the Fall of Adam; then did he undertake that great Negotiation of reconciling God to man, and man to God; and actually he was a Mediatour after his Incarnation; for then was he ma∣nifested in the flesh, then was he manifested to be what before he was, then did he act that part visibly upon earth, which before he had acted secretly and invisibly in heaven; then he entred upon the work of his active and passive obedience; then he discharged his Prophetical and Priestly office here on Earth, which having done, then he entred upon his Kingly Administration in Heaven. Now as to this work he was called by God (him hath God the Father sealed; it pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things to himself. And as to these offices severally he had Commission from God, (the Lord hath annoynted me to Preach good tydings unto the meek; and the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever; and the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool.) So now he comes with all his Commissions in his hand, and he delivers them all up unto his Father again. In this case it is with Christ as with some General, whom the King sends forth with Regal Authority to the War, who having subdued the Enemy, he returns in Triumph, and all being finished he makes a surrender of his place; thus Christ having discharged all his offices imposed on him, now the work is finished, he leaves his function by delivering up his Commissions to his Father. In Heaven there is no need of Sun or Moon, that is, as some interpret, there is no need of Preaching, or Prophesying; of the Word or Sacraments, for the Lamb is the light thereof, Christ is the only means of all the communication that the Elect there shall have; and as for his Regal Office, the Apostle is express, then shall he deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father. Only here is the question, how is Christ said to resign his King∣dom to God the Father? for saith not the Scripture, that Christ's Kingdom shall have no end? and that Christ's Throne is for ever and ever? for answer, I see no con∣tradiction but that Christ may both resign his Kingdom, and yet reserve it. See a like case, All Power, saith Christ, in heaven and earth is given to me of my Father: shall we say now that the Father himself was quite stript of it? no; but as the Kingdom which the Father gave the Son is nevertheless called the Father's Kingdom, or the King∣dom of God; so Christ shall return it, yet retain it also. Two things (we say) are con∣tained in the Term of Reign, sci. Dominion, and Execution; to wear the Crown, and to bear the Scepter: now Christ in the former sense shall reign for ever, the honour of dominion and of wearing the Crown he shall never resign up to his Father, for his Fa∣thers Throne disturbs not his, there are both their Thrones at once, Rev. 7.11. but the functions of a King, to sit in Judgment, to reward deservers, to punish evil-doers, to rescue the oppressed, to fight with the enemy, Christ in this sense shall cease to reign, and shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father.

More particularly, Christ is said to deliver up the Kingdom in three respects.

1. Because he ceaseth to execute that Authority, which nevertheless he hath; as a Judge that goeth from the Bench is a Judge still, although he giveth no judgment, but imployeth his time about other occasions; so Christ is said to resign his place, not that his Authority is subject to Diminution, but in that he makes no shew; for when his ene∣mies are all put under, there is no need that any more blows should proceed from his Kingly power.

1. Because the manner of his Kingdom after the judgment day shall be wholly changed; he shall not Reign in the same fashion that he did before; there's no need in heaven of good Laws to keep men from starting into wickedness; the orders of this life are changed into a new kind of Government, and in that respect he is said to give o∣ver the Kingdome.

3. Because he ceaseth to increase his Dominion. In this World Christ was still gaining more souls to his Kingdom by the Preaching of his Word, and so he spread his dominion further, and further; but when the Lord shall have made up the number of his Servants to his mind, then he will end the World, and give up the Kingdom, (i.e.) he will cease to enlarge his confines any more, he will be content with the number of his Subjects that he hath already. Here is the Second thing, Christ presents all his Com∣missions to his Father, he gives up his Priestly, Prophetical, and regal offices at his first entrance into heaven.

4. He presents himself unto his Father; not only his offices but Christ himself is presented, and subjected unto God. This I take it, is the meaning of the Apo∣stle, when he saith, then shall the Son also be Subject unto him, that put all things un∣der him. The words are mystical, and therefore we had need to understand them soberly, and according to the Analogy of Faith. The Arrians hence inferr'd, that the Son was not equal with the Father, because he that is subject must needs be inferi∣our to him whose Subject he is. But the Answer is easie, Christ is considered ei∣ther as God, or as man, and Mediatour betwixt God and Man; Christ as God hath us Subject to him, and is Subject to none; but Christ as man and Mediatour is Subject to his Father together with us. Some would have it, that Christ is Subject to his Fa∣ther in respect of his mystical body, the Church; and that this only should be the mean∣ing of the Apostle, then shall the Church be Subject to the Father; but I cannot assent to this Exposition. 1. Because the Apostle speaks expresly of Christ and of his Kingdom. 2. Because though Christ be sometimes in Scripture read for the Church, or for the body of Christ, yet the Son as opposed to the Father, is never so read or understood. 3. Because we read, that he that is to be Subject, must first, have all things Subject to himself. Now the Father doth not properly Subject or subdue all things to the Church of Christ, but only unto Christ, and therefore the Apostle speaks of Christ's subjection to the Father; In the same way as Christ delivers up the Kingdom to the Father, is Christ also to be subject to his Father; but Christ delivers up his Kingdom as man, and as mediatour betwixt God and man; in these respects Christ (as we have heard) must Reign no more, at that day his Mediatourship shall cease, and by consequence in re∣spect of his Mediatourship, or in respect of his humanity, he shall that day be subject to his Father.

You will say, is not, and was not Christ always subject to his Father as man, or as mediatour betwixt God and man? how then do we limit this subjection to that day? then (saith the Apostle) shall the Son be subject.

I answer, this subjection will be then, or at that day more clearly manifested then ever it was before; then he must surrender his Kingdom to his Father in the sight of men and Angels; then he shall lay aside all his Offices in the view of all; so that henceforth God shall not Reign by the humanity of Christ, but by himself; nor shall we henceforth be subject to God through a mediatour Christ, but imme∣diately to God himself; nor shall Christ himself reign over us as mediatour any more, for the very glory of his Majesty shall become so illustrious, that all eyes shall see how transcendently eminent the Deity of Christ is above all creatures, even above the humanity of Christ himself. That a fuller view of Christ's subjection shall be at that day then ever before: we may illustrate thus; by night the Sun Reigns or rules over us, but by the Moon; for the light of the Moon is borrowed from the Sun, though in the night we see not any subjection of the Moon to the Sun at all: but so soon as the Sun riseth, presently the Moon surceaseth its office of lightning others, and becomes subject to the Sun it self; not by a new subjection, but by a declaration of its former subjection, so that now all may see what eminency of glory and light the Sun hath both above the Stars, and above the Moon, thus it is with God and Christ, now it is God reigns over us, but only by Christ as Mediatour; God's immediate Reign we discern not so clearly for the present; but when the end shall come, and Christ shall surcease his Office of Mediatourship, then shall the glo∣ry of Christ's Divinity appear more eminently, not only above all creatures, but

above the brightness of Christ's humanity it self; and in this respect Christ then shall be Subject, if not by a new subjection, yet certainly by a new declaration and mani∣festation of his subjection, so as never was before.

O the wonders of this day! O the admirable shews in heaven, at Christ and his Saints first entrance into heaven! O my soul, where wilt thou stand? or what wilt thou 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, saying, O my Father, here we are all before thy glorious God-head; thus far I have carryed on the great work of man's Salvation, and now all's done according to the Cove∣nant betwixt thee and me; lo here all the Saints which by decree thou gavest me be∣fore the world was made; lo here all the Commissions which I received from thee in order to their Salvation; lo here the humanity which thou gavest me when I came into the World; such were the sins of my redeemed ones, and grown to such an height, that Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not have, but a body thou preparedst for me, and lo here I present all these before thee; come, take thy Commissions, and be thou all in all; we praise thee O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. Come wel∣come me, and welcome mine, we all stand here before thy glorious Throne, and ex∣pect every way as high an entertainment as Heaven, or the God of heaven can afford us. O my soul, what joy will possess thee at this passage? be sure now thy dan∣ger is over, and thy arrival is safe, neither shall it ever be heard, friend how camest thou hither? for the Lord himself will run unto thee, he will hug thee and em∣brace thee, mouth on thy mouth, eyes on thy eyes, and hands on thy hands; and each hand shall clap for joy, each harp shall warble, each knee shall bend and bow, and each heart be merry and glad. O for the day! Oh when will the day come on, when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father!

SECT. IX. Of Christ's Subjection to the Father, that God may be all in all.

9. FOR the end of Christ's Subjection to his Father that God may be all in all. Sure∣ly this is the meaning: Christ therefore Subjects himself unto his Father, that God himself might be all in all; that God may no more Reign by a Deputy, or by a Christ, but that immediately and perfectly he may reign by himself, so that every one may see him face to face. Here we enjoy God (as it were) by means as in the use of the Word, and Sacraments, and the like, but when that Kingdom (where these Administra∣tions are made use of) shall be delivered up, then shall God himself be all in all, without means, without defect, without end.

It is observable that Christ in his mediatory Kingdom hath some such things as bear an Analogy to the means and instruments of governing in the Kingdomes of men; As, 1. He hath his Militia and his Laws, with threatnings and promises, in the ordinances of his Word. 2. He hath his grants, and seals, with many privi∣ledges to confirm his people in the Ordinances of his Sacraments. 3. He hath his Officers and Embassadours for the management of spiritual affairs in the Ordinan∣ces of his Ministry; but the ceasing of Christ's Kingdom is the ceasing of all these; and he therefore ceaseth his Kingdom that God may immediately succeed all these; without any means, or without any Mediatour at all, he himself may be instead of all; or all in all.

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 the meaning; it is a periphrasis of our compleat enjoyment of God: that God may be all in all, is as much as to say, that we may enjoy God alone to all pur∣poses, neither wanting nor willing any thing besides himself; for a person to be all in all to me, it is to have an enjoyment of that person to all purposes, so that I nei∣ther do; nor need I to enjoy any thing besides himself; thus God is to the Saints in glory, he is their exceeding great reward; they need nothing else besides himself, their very droughts of happiness is taken in immediately from the fountain, and 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.

1. 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. Oh how excellent is this enjoyment above all present enjoyments here below? as the enjoyment of a friend in his picture, letters, tokens, is short of what we enjoy when we have his personal presence; or as the heat and light of the Sun through a cloud is beneath that heat and light when the glorious body of it is open to us without any interposition; even so all the injoy∣ments of God in the use of means, graces, blessings, ordinances are infinitely inferior to that enjoyment of God which shall be without all means; all the ravishments of our spirit in prayer, hearing, reading, meditating, is but a sip of those Rivers which we shall have in heaven. I know the remembrance of God in a private meditation is sweet, Psal, 104.34. and communion with God in any Ordinance is a feast of sweetness and marrow, and fatness. Psal. 63.5, 6. But when the soul shall imme∣diately possess God, when this Kingdom of grace shall expire, and all the Admini∣strations of it shall vanish away, will not the fountain be much more sweet then all the streams? surely feasts, and sweetness, and marrow, and fatness, are terms exceedingly too diminitive to give us any more than a small hint of that incomprehensible satisfaction by immediate communion. O the wonders of Heaven! there shall be Light with∣out a candle, and a perpetual day without a Sun, there shall be health without phy∣sick, and strength of Body without use of food; there shall be knowledge without Scriptures, and setled government without a written Law; there shall be Comuni∣on without Sacraments, and Joy without promises to be its fewel; the soul in glo∣ry shall go streight unto God, and immediately perticipate his glory and hap∣piness. 'Tis the comparison of a Learned Divine, suppose you saw a company of Chrystal Globes placed in a parallel line, because their posture will not admit the Suns immediate beams; we'll suppose another single Globe set by the middle of them, to transmit the Sun-beams unto all those Globes, by this means they all shine, though it be only by reflection; but when the Sun shall so come about, as that they may imme∣diately receive its beams, there's no further use of the single Globe then; so here, while we through our distance from God are uncapable of immediate enjoyment, there's a ne∣cessity of Christ's Mediation, but when all things that cause the distance are removed, and we brought into the presence-chamber of God himself, ther's no such need of a Mediator then. Now here is one thing, wherein he is our all in all, shall enjoy him immediately.

2. It consists in our enjoying of God fully. Now I know in part (saith the Apo∣stle) but then I shall know, even as I am known; our enjoyment of God is but here 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 God's 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 favour enjoyed by Faith, but his first face, which is his Divine essence enjoyed by sight. Yet I mean not so, as if the soul which is a creature could take in the whole Essence of God which is incomprehencible; but the soul shall, and must be so full of God, as that it shall not be able to receive, or desire one jot more. And oh how excellent is this enjoyment above all present enjoyments? it is now our highest happiness to have some glimpses of his glory shining on us, and some drops of his favour distil∣led into us, oh but when God shall be our all in all, we shall have as much of God as our souls can hold, we shall have the glory of God so poured in, till we shall be able to receive no more. And here is that which gives the soul a full satisfaction; never would it be satisfied till it came to this; suppose that God would draw out all the beauty, sweetness, goodness that he hath communicated to all Creatures in the world, and bring the quintessence of all, and communicate that unto the soul of one poor Saint, certainly it would not serve the turn, there must be a greater comunication before the soul be fully satisfied and rest content; only once admit it into the glorious presence of him who is all in all, and presently it expires its infinite desire into the bo∣some of that God; for there's enough to fill his spirit, he cannot desire so much, but there is more and yet infinitely more; if there be enough in God for the sprrits of all just men made perfect with God, if there be enough in God for Angels whose

capacities are greater than the Saints, if there be enough in God for Jesus Christ, whose capacity is yet far wider than the Angels, if there be enough in God for God himself, whose capacity is infinitely greater than them all; then there must needs be satisfaction enough in God to any one poor soul. Here is another thing wherein God is our all in all, we shall enjoy him fully.

3. It consists in our enjoying God solely. Not as if there were nothing else in Heaven but onely 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 Gods own blessedness doth consist in the enjoyment of God himself; the Schoole-men tells us, that we shall not properly enjoy any thing else but only God; we may have some use of the Creatures, but no fruition; and therefore is God said to be all, or as good as all. And indeed what can we imagine to be in Heaven, which is not eminently in God himself: if it be greatness, power, and glory, and victory, and majesty, all these are his; if it be joy, or love, or peace, or beauty, or any thing amiable or desirable, all these are in him. Hence some take it to be David's meaning, when he said, he had none in Heaven but God; that the sole enjoyment of God, (of God, and of no∣thing else but God) is the souls true happiness, when it is at highest; whom have I in heaven but thee? whom? why there are Angels, there are Saints, there are the spirits of just and perfect men; are these nothing with David? O yes! all these are good, but they are not able to satisfie a soul without God himself. Whether God will make use of any Creatures for our service then? or if any, of what Creatures? and what use? is more than I yet know; but to make up a full enjoyment there is required a gracious-glorious presence, a sweet effusion or communication of that presence, a just comprehension of the excellency of that communication, a perfect love, and a perfect rest in the love of whatsoever it is we comprehend; now this is proper only to God; 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 intended to the utmost, and therefore he only is properly enjoyed, he only is possessed with a full contentment 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, but only with God? O yes! I believe there shall be in Heaven a communion of the blessed Spi∣rits 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 as created things, but altogether 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 a gracious love; but there we shall love our selves for God, and 'tis a glorious love; why this is to enjoy God solely, in this respect he is all, and in all; whom have I in Heaven but thee?

Here's a point enough to wean us to the World. Alas! the time is coming on a pace, that all this World shall be dissolved, and then God shall be all in all; here lies the Saints happiness to have God immediately, God fully, and God solely; and will not Saints prepare themselves for such a condition as this? you that have the World, use it as if not, for the fashion of this World passeth away; and you that have but a little to do with the World, improve that condition; surely 'tis your own fault if you have not more to do with God, for you have little else to take up your hearts; God may dwell and walk in your hearts without disturbance, give me neither poverty nor riches (saith the wise man upon that account) a mean condition is more capable of happyness than that which over-loads us with outward things; whilst others are casting up their accounts, you may say with David, how precious are thy thoughts un∣to me O God? how great is the sum of them? whil'st others are following their suits at courts of Justice, you may follow all you have at a Throne of grace; whil'st others are numbring their Flocks and Heards, all your Arithmetick may be imploy∣ed to number your days; whilst others cannot get out of the clutches of the world, you may get into the embraces of your God; why, this is to prepare your selves for fuller and fuller enjoyments of God; it is God will be all in all, and this is the very top of Heavens happyness; surely the less you have of the World now, if you can but improve it, the more you may have of Heavens happiness even upon earth: for what is the happiness of Heaven, but the sole enjoyment of God? Christians! if you feel any inclinations, pantings, breathings after this world, give me leave to tell

you, that you will never be happy till you have lost all, till you have no friends, nor estates, no enjoyment but God alone; when all his done, when this world is nothing, when means shall cease, both for bodies and souls, and when Christ shall cease his Mediators office, and the Son of man be Subject to his Father, then God shall be all in all.

SECT. X. Of Christs (notwithstanding this) being all in all to his blessed, saved, redeemed Saints, to all Eternity.

10. FOR Christ's being all in all to his blessed, saved, redeemed Saints to all Eter∣nity; we shall dilate in this Section. 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 holy Ghost, for the whole God-head is all in all to all the Saints, as well as the first person in the Trinity; the Father is all, and the Son is all, and 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 humane nature but from the divine na∣ture of Jesus Christ.

2. It is not derogatory to Christ, but rather it doth exceedingly advance Christ in the thoughts of all his Saints; while it was necessary Christ veyled his Deity, and when his work of Mediation is fully finished, Christ then shall reveal his Deity to his Saints more then ever before. In this respect might I say if any person in the Tri∣nity receives more honour than other, Christ should have most; every Creature which is in heaven heard, I say, blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever; not only unto God, but particularly to the Lamb for ever and ever. It is true, that God only, and God fully, and God immediate∣ly is all in all, but doth that hinder that Jesus Christ is not also only, fully, and im∣mediately all in all? see how the Scripture joyns them together, which plainly ar∣gues that they may consist, 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.

1. What is the glory of Christ? I answer, that the glory of Christ is either humane, or divine.

1. There is an humane 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 God-head; I shall speak to both these, that we may rather take a view of Christ in those glories (as we are able) wherein he will appear to his Saints as their all in all to all Eternity.

1. For his humane glory, that 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 even then he received grace, not by measure, as we do, but as comprehension, he had the clear visi∣on of God, even as the Angels of heaven, which arose from that hypostatical union of two natures at his first conception. It is true, that by the special dispensation of God, the fullness of thy accompanying that glory was with-held from Christ in the time of his passion, and the redundancy of glory from his soul unto his body was to∣tally deferred until the exaltation of Christ; but Christ 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, solace, pleasure, 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 propor∣tionable unto the most vast capacity of any creature; not only his soul, but his body is a glorious Creature; it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a body of glory, that is a most glorious body in it self. And the spring of glory unto others, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory? it is called his glory, as if it were appropriated unto him as the most eminent subject, and principal efficient of glory; as if he had the monopoly of glory: all the glory in heaven is in some sort his glory. Surely Christ's manhood is exalted unto an higher degree of glory than the most glorious Saint or An∣gel ever was, or shall be; principalities, powers, mights, and dominions fall short of his glory.

But some object, that the mediatory office of Christ shall wholly cease, and that the body and soul of Christ shall then be annihilated.

Indeed this was the opinion of Eutiches, that the human nature of Christ should be changed or converted into the divine; and thus he interprets that Scripture, then shall the Son also himself be subject, that God may be all in all, what is this subjection, (saith he) but a conversion of the Creature into the very substance, or essence of the Cre∣atour himself? But we deny the interpretation; the Son as man shall be subject, and yet the manhood of Christ shall still remain: it is true that his Mediatory office shall wholly cease, but it follows not that therefore the manhood of Christ shall be conver∣ted or changed into the Deity; there may be other reasons for the continuation of his human nature besides the execution of his Mediatory office; As, 1. That the lustre of his Deity might shine through his humanity, and that thereby our very bodily eyes may come to see God, as much as is possible for any creature to see him, I shall see him (saith Job) not with other, but with these same eyes; 2. That the Saints may see how the power of an infinite God can conveigh the lustre of his Deity into a Creature; upon this account I verily believe, that Angels and Men will be continually viewing of Jesus Christ, he shall come to be admired of the Saints; he shall be admired (as we have heard) at the Judgment-day; nor is that all, but the Saints in heaven shall see with their eyes such excellencies in Christ, as that they shall admire for ever; I say for ever, as much as they did at the first moment when they saw him; here if we see any thing excellent, we admire at first, but after a while we do not so, but in heaven there will be so much excellency in Christ, that we shall admire as much to all Eternity, as we did at the very first moment; there will be no abatement in glory of our being taken with the sight of the glory in Jesus Christ. 3. That Christ by his humanity may converse more freely, and familiarly with his brethren in his Fathers house; oh the intimacy that will be there betwixt Jesus Christ and his Christian Saints! oh the mutual rejoycing and delight that will be there betwixt Jesus Christ and his dearest darlings! as Christ from Eternity rejoyced in the habitable part of his Earth, so will the Saints (his habitable Earth) to all eternity rejoyce in Christ; the eye of the Saints in glory can never be off Christ as Medi∣ator and God; now the eye of the Saints in glory shall never be off Christ as God and Mediatour then. Thus far of his human glory.

2. For his Essential divine glory, it is that glory which Christ hath as God: this he never laid aside, but as the Sun in a dark gloomy day may not send forth its beams, so Christ the Son of righteousness in the time of his abode upon earth (except a little glimps only in his transfiguration) did not send forth his glorious beams; but hereaf∣ter the body or humanity of Christ shall not hinder the breaking forth of all his divine glory. No sooner the Son subject, and his Mediatory office discharged, but Christ, as God will manifestly put forth his more immediate glory to all his Saints. Behold, now we are the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear, what we shall be, but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Mark it, when he shall appear, at, and after the Resurrection day, we shall see him as he is, (i.e.) we shall see the very essential glory of Jesus Christ. But what is the essential glory of Christ? I cannot an∣swer, 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? The Scriptures say, that God spake to Moses face to face, yet God tells him thou canst not see my face, and he favours him so far as to tell him the reason, for there shall no man see my face and live, q. d. No man in this life, he must first dye, and be changed, and then he shall have a peculiar revelation of the divine Majesty; then he shall see him as he is; but how that is, I cannot tell; come, let us question this no fur∣ther; surely it is a mercy that this infinite glory is not discovered to us; for as a weak

eye is not able to behold the Sun, or to see in it rota, (as the School-men speak) in that wheel or circle wherein the Sun doth run, but only in the beams of it; no more can we see Christ as God in his glorious essence, or in his essential glory, but only in the beams thereof in his Word and Effects; if now we know so little of spirits and spiri∣tuals, oh then how little do we know of him who is the Father of Spirits? I shall say no more therefore, let us be content to be ignorant of these things, till we enter into the confines of Eternity.

But whether shall this glorious Essence, or Essential glory of Christ be more seen, or manifested, at, or after the day of judgment, then ever it was before? I answer. —

I believe it will. Some tell us of several periods wherein the glory of Christ is still more and more seen; as, 1. In this life we may see it in part, thus David speaks of him∣self, my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, to see thy power, and thy glory, as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary; but this sight is very dim, we see onely now as through a glass darkly. The second period is betwixt our dissolution and resurrection; and then shall we see the essential glory of Christ more immediately and fully, our creeping ap∣prehension of God shall then be elevated, and our distance from God shall then be short∣ned, and all the riddles of grace and of Jesus Christ shall then be opened. This sight is so great, that if a soul should come from heaven to declare it, neither could that soul ex∣press it, nor we understand it; we read of Lazarus, whose soul Christ returned into his body, whom much people of the Jews came purposely to see, that they might hear stories of the other World, but not a word from him of any such matter; Paul's rap∣ture may satisfie with the reason of it, he heard there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, wordless words, such words as could not possibly be repeated on earth, and yet all this is but a second step to the full vision of Christ's essential glory. The third period is at the Resurrection, and during the time of the last Judgment, and then we shall see more of his glory; Camero affirms that 'tis no curiosity to say, that the Saints and Angels in heaven had a new glo∣ry by the exhibition of Christ, the great mystery of the Incarnation being thereby bet∣ter known; and we may as safely affirm, that the Saints shall have a new glory, by new visions of the glory of Christ at the day of Resurrection; they shall then see the so∣lemnity of heavens glory carried on by Christ in his glorious actings; and all that ever the soul saw before in being with Christ in Heaven till the Resurrection, shall be swal∣lowed up with the sight of this glory of Christ at the Resurrection-day. The last pe∣riod is after the Resurrection, and that shall continue even to all Eternity; now all the manifestations of Christ's glory before this, are but as a few green ears rubb'd in our hands, so that the full crop or the full harvest is yet behind. But this is that (which as we told you before) we cannot tell, though we had the tongues of men and Angels. Thus far of the first point, what is the glory of Christ.

2. How sh••ll the Saints behold this glory? I answer, As Christ hath a twofold glory, so there is a twofold manner of beholding it, (i.e.) ocular and mental.

1. There is an ocular vision, a sight of Christ with our very eyes, whom I shall see for my self, 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 contem∣plate Christ's glorious body; and indeed this shall drown all the other sights, if any think that Christ's glorious body shall be too intensive, and too extraordinary a bright∣ness for our weak eyes; let such consider that—

1. The eye in heaven shall be glorified; now glorification adds a singular excellency to the faculties, it advanceth the faculties, and raiseth them to an higher pitch of ex∣cellency; glorification adds a greater capacity to the eye then ever it had before. In this world there is a difference in our eyes and sight; a man of a clear sight sees more things, and more of every thing then a dark sight doth; so a glorified eye sees more of things then our eyes now can see; it shall be enlarged exceedingly to take in objects which now it cannot receive; glorification adds strength to the faculties both inter∣nal, and external, so that the eye shall be able to look on the glory of Christ, not with difficulty, but with contentment; in this World every sense we have is apt to be de∣stroyed by excellent Objects, and the more excellent, and transcendent the object is, the more it hurts and destroys the sense; as the Sun by its brightness darkens the eye, and other things by mighty sounds bring deafness to the ear; Paul indeed had a vision of glory, but because his faculties were not glorified, he was he knew not how, whether

in the body or out of the body, whether alive or dead, he did not know; certainly the sight of the glory of the other world would amaze, distract, and destroy us, if we had a sight of it as now we are; but in heaven the eye shall have great pleasure in beholding the brightest light, because it shall be advanced to the highest pitch of strength that may be.

2. As the eye shall be glorified, so it shall act in a glorified body, and this will make the sight of the glory of Christ in stead of hurting us, to leave upon us, a more sweet, enlivening, and powerful impression. By this means all the impediments that hinder the conveyance of divine influences from that heavenly object will be removed. To il∣lustrate this, let the most excellent sight be set before a man that is defective in his bo∣dily state, and it doth not take him; what should a sick man do with such things? he makes nothing of the most pleasant gardens, orchards, buildings, nor of the most glo∣rious sights that are; when he is sick, they are but sick things to him, and of none effect; but in heaven the body shall be glorified, and stript of all corruptions and imperfections, so that there shall be no bar unto the influences of the glory of Christ which shall there be seen.

3. As there shall be a glorified eye acting in a glorified body, so it shall be acted by a glorified Spirit; the eye is but the organ or instrument of sight, and without the spi∣rit would conveigh no more then a glass doth; it is the Spirit of a man that gives life to vision, it is the Spirit of a man that discovers things, and sets them forth in their worth, vertues, ends; now in heaven the spirit of men shall be glorified, and enabled to perform all those offices in perfection; so that when a man shall look on the man Christ Jesus by vertue of a glorified spirit, he shall see more, know more, taste more than any other can; As a man of understanding when he looks on a diamond, or a wedge of gold he hath other apprehensions of it, and a further touch upon his spirit, then a beast or a child in a cradle hath; so where the sight of the eye is acted by a glorified mind, it takes in more from the sight of every thing which is to be seen (unexpressibly more) then what can be done here by the most sanctified Spirit in the World. Now in these respects Christ's glorified body (though it be the brightest visible thing in the Heaven of Heavens) yet may it be the object of the eye of Saints, for they shall have glorified eyes, in glorified bodies, and acted by their glorified spirits.

2. There is a mental vision, a sight of Christ by the eyes of our understandings; and sure∣ly 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 illightned with a clear and glorious sight of Christ as God; Divines usually call it, Beatifical vision.

But how shall Saints behold the glorious Essence, or God-head of Christ?

1. Some say, Christ as God, or the God-head of Christ shall be known by the Huma∣nity of Christ; such a lustre of his Deity shall shine through his humanity, as that there∣by, and by no other means shall the Essential glory of Christ appear.

2. Others say, That besides the Humanity of Christ there shall be a species represent∣ing the Divine Essence of Christ, and a light of glory elevating the understanding by a Supernatural strength; and that thereby the glorious Essence of Christ shall be disco∣vered.

3. Others say, That the Divine Essence shall be represented to the glorified under∣standing, not by Christs humanity, nor by any species, but immediately by it self, yet they also require a light of glory to elevate and fortifie the understanding by reason of its weakness, and infinite disproportion and distance from the incomprehensible Deity.

4. Others hold, that to the clear vision of Christ as God, there is not required a sight of Christ's humanity as the first suppose; nor a species representing the Divine Essence, as the second suppose; nor any created light elevating the understanding, as the third suppose; but only a change of the natural order of knowing; It is sufficient (say they) that the Divine Essence be immediately represented to a created understan∣ding; which though it cannot be done according to the order of nature, as experience tells us, (for so we conceive things as first having passed the sense and imagination) yet it may be done according to the order of Divine grace. I shall not enter into these Scho∣lastical disputes, it is enough for a sober man to know that in heaven we shall see him face to face, his Servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face.

His face, what's that? I answer—

1. They shall see Christ as God, of the same Essence with the Father, and the holy Ghost, and yet a distinct Person from them both; they shall see the Unity in Trinity,

and Trinity in Unity; they shall see how the Son is begotten of the Father, and how the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father, and the Son; they shall see the difference between the generation of the Son, and procession of the Spirit. These are mysteries in which we are blind and know very little or nothing, but in seeing his face we shall see all these.

2. They shall see Christ at their first being, or principle of all the good that is in the World; they shall see how all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made; they shall see all the good in the creature as flowing from Christ, and as contained in the absolute perfection of Christ's Divine Nature; they shall see in one Christ all the excellencies of all the creatures united, which is indeed to see him in his eminency if there be any beauty, riches, honour, goodness in any creature, that is emi∣nently, transcendently, and originally in Christ, and that shall be seen.

3. They shall see Christ in all his ways, counsels, decrees, executions, transactions, from everlasting to everlasting; that great business of Election and Reprobation will then be discovered; it is an expression of Augustine, They shall then see the reason why one is Elected, and another Reprobated; why one is rich, and another poor; they shall then see all the works that ever God did, or that ever God will do; it is not yet Six thou∣sand years since the creation of the World, and what is Six thousand years to Eternity? certainly the truth of Origen's opinion touching the existency of other worlds before this, and the future succession of other Worlds after this, will then be known. If no worlds, before this, yet if God in Christ hath done such great things in only Six thousand years what he may do in the next Six thousand years, and so in the next Six thousand years, who now can tell? we see not these things, but the Saints in seeing the face of Christ shall see all things.

4. They shall see Christ in all his glory, ways, counsels, decrees, executions, trans∣actions, as working for their happiness. Now this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 more then the former; there's a great deal of difference in seeing an object as excellent in it self, and in seeing an object as conducing to my happiness; As one that is a stranger, and another is an heir rides over such a demesgne; the stranger rides over it, and takes delight to see the situation, rivers, trees, and fruits, but the heir looks upon it after another manner, this (saith he) is the land for which my Father laid out so much, and all to enrich me, and all to bestow it on me, as my Inheritance. So the Saints admitted into the glorious sight of Christ, they take not only a view of Christ, of the Essential glory of Christ, of the transactions of Christ, things excellent in themselves, but they see all these as to make them happy; they say of Christ, and of all his actings, these are mine, and for my happiness; A stran∣ger may look upon a King, and see beauty and Majesty, and glory, and honour in him, but the Queen looks upon the King and his beauty as her own; so the Saints look up∣on the King of Heaven, they see Christ, and all in Christ as their own, to make them happy for ever and ever.

5. They shall see Christ as he is; but what? do we not see him now as he is? oh no: we now see him not as he is indeed and truth, but only as he is in hear-say, and report; we now see him only as he is shadowed out to us in the Gospel of peace; and what is the Gospel, but the pourtraiture of the King, which he sent to another Land to be seen by his Bride? so Kings and Queens on earth wooe one another; whilst the Bride is on earth, she never seeth him as he is in his best Sabbath-Royal Robe of immediate glory, she seeth him rather by the second hand, (i.e.) by messengers, words, mediation; he ra∣ther sends his pourtraiture, then comes himself; but in heaven the Saints see him as he is, they see Christ himself in his own very person; they see the red and white in his own face; they see all the inside of Christ; and thousands of excellencies shall then be revealed, that we see not now; the mysteries of that glorious Ark shall then be ope∣ned; his Incarnation, his two Natures in one person, his Suffering as Man, and his sitting in the seat of God as God, all these shall be seen.

6. They shall see Christ without interruption, and without intermission to all Eternity. If once the eye be set on the face of Jesus Christ, it will never be taken off again. Some conceive this to be the reason why the Saints in heaven can never fall away, because they shall have a continual view of Christ as God; Surely to have but one glimpse of Christ in this respect, though it were gone presently, it were a great happiness beyond all that the World affords; it was sometimes the desire of a Philosopher to see the nature of the Sun, though he were to be burnt by it; so if Christ should but grant us this happiness, you shall come to see me, but the sight of me will destroy you, this were a de∣sirable

thing; but to have such an excellent glorious sight as shall never end; that Christ should not only pass by, but stand still, so as the soul shall never lose his sight; O how glo∣rious is this? if a man do but look upon a delightful Object, he is loath to have his eye drawn from it; surely the eye of Saints shall be eternally opened to see the divine nature of Christ; turn them which way they will, they shall never turn aside the bu∣sied eyes of their understanding from off the Deity of Christ; he fills heaven; he is that fair Tree of life, the branches whereof in all that huge and capacious borders of hea∣ven have not room to grow in; for the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. O the wonders of heaven. There is Abraham, Moses, Elias, the Prophets, the Apostles, and the glorified Martyrs, but the Saints have neither leisure, nor hearts to feed themselves with beholding of creatures; no, no; all the eyes of heaven (which are a fair and nume∣rous company) are upon (only, only upon) the Lord Jesus Christ; the Father hath no leisure to look over his shoulder to his Son; the Husband hath no leasure to look over his shoulder to his Wife; Christ takes all eyes off from such created things; surely 'tis enough for the Saints and Angels in heaven to study Christ for all Eternity; it shall be their only labour to read Christ, to smel Christ, to hear, see, and taste Christ; to love, joy, and enjoy Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Thus far of the second point, how the Saints shall behold the glory of Christ.

3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression, that the beholding of Christ is our all in all? I answer,—

1. It comprehends the immediate seeing and looking upon all, that Majesty and Glo∣ry which Jesus Christ hath. In this sense Paul took it when he complained, we walk by faith, not by sight. q. d. on earth we have faith, and in heaven we have sight; it is some comfort that now I see Jesus Christ by faith, but comparatively to that sight which the Saints have in heaven it is as no comfort at all; alas! I am not, I cannot be satisfied so long as I am absent from the Lord, I look upon my self as one from home; And as a Prince in a strange Land sits down sadly, because he hath not the sight of his Father, so I am forced to complain; O I cannot see my Lord, I would fain behold him, I am a stranger on earth, a Pilgrim in this world, I am not where I would be, I am absent from him whom I most desire; O I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; I walk with him here on earth by faith, but to walk with him in the streets of heaven by sight is far better; O I long, I pant, I breath, I desire, I think every day a year, and every year an age till I be in heaven, at home, in my Father's arms, that I may behold and see him, and that immediately, I say immediately in his glory. This is one way of beholding Christ, it is an immediate sight.

2. It comprehends the fruition and enjoyment of Christ in his glory. Surely the Saints shall not be meer 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 thou 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 them as their own. And thus the word to see, or behold, is often used in Scripture; except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, (i.e.) he cannot enjoy it: and Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory, (i.e.) that they may enjoy my glory; for Christ is not only glorious in himself, but he is the spring of glory unto others: now 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: To see a little into the state and condition of the Saints in glory in this enjoyment of Christ.—

1. They possess Christ as their own; they go to Christ, and they lay hold on him, saying, thou art mine. It was indeed the language of the spouse whilst yet on earth, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; there's a right, and a propriety made over to her in her betrothing unto Christ, but after the solemnity of the marriage is over, the possession is then more full; when once the spouse comes to behold Christ in his Kindgom, she may then go boldly to her beloved, and say, all I see is my own; I had thee in hope, but now hope is vanished, and actual enjoyment comes in place: lo, now I have thee in my eye, and in my heart, and in my hands, and in my arms; and as nothing shall separate us now, for all our enemies are trod underfoot, so never will I part with thee, so far as to be out of my eye, I will still behold thee, and in beholding I will still possess thee, for thou art mine own.

2. They have the use of what they possess; and this is an infinite good to the Saints; they shall not only possess Christ, but they shall have what use they will of Christ, and of all in Christ; they shall as they please make use of his humanity, and of his Deity, of his glorious Essence, and of his glorious attributes; O wonder! that a Saint should come to Christ and say, O my Lord, thou art mine, and my pleasure is to make use of thy wisdome, power, and mercy; and that Christ should reply, and say, welcome sweet soul, use me and all my glory as thou pleasest, why thus it is; even as a friend will say to his friend, make use of all I have as your own; so will Christ come to his Saints, and bid them make use of all his riches, glory excellency, even as they will, even to the ut∣most that they are capable of.

3. They have the sweet and comfort of all they use; and this makes up a compleat enjoyment. In things below we may have the possession of them, and the use thereof, but if we have not the sweet and comfort of that we use, we cannot be said truly or fully to enjoy those things; what is the possession and use of meat and drink, if we taste not the sweet of them? Hence God is said to give us all things richly to enjoy; no creature can give us richly to enjoy another, one may give us such and such things wherein there may be comfort, but he cannot give us comfort in such things, it is only God that can give us that; it is so with the Saints in glory, God gives them all things, yea, Christ gives himself to them as all in all, to enjoy him richly, fully, sweetly, to the very uttermost. This another way of beholding Christ, it is a fruition or enjoyment of Christ, wherein and whereby he is our all in all.

4. It comprehends all the effects and consequents of such a beholding of his glory, which are infinite delight and complacency in the will, and all praise and thanksgiving in the mouthes of his Saints. For the first, It is disputed whether Eternal happiness be more in the acts of the understanding, or if the Will? and some conclude that it is princi∣pally in the will, because that is an active appetite, arid predominant in a man, indeed the whole of a man, oh the joy, delight, and complacency that will arise in the will upon the seeing and beholding of Jesus Christ! they shall delight infinitely in the Essential glory of Christ, and in the declared glory of Christ; they shall delight in all that glory that is reflected upon Christ by all his creatures in heaven; they shall delight in his presence, and in his love, Christ is all delights, and how then should they but delight in Christ? for the second, as they delight in their wills, so will their mouthes be filled with prai∣ses; we read of Saints and Angels continually praising God in heaven; there shall be none of our duties of mourning, fasting, praising, humbling; the acts of patience and justifying faith shall cease in heaven; but the duty of praising, and glorifying God will contiuue to all Eternity. Methinks I see the Saints following the Lamb; methinks I hear the familiar converses betwixt Christ and them; as Christ opens himself to them, so they to him; first, he begins; Oh my dearest Saints, you are they, for whom before all time I decreed this heaven, and now you see the execution of my decrees; whiles the world stood, I was still carrying on the work of your salvation, either in doing or suffering, or in successive works, applying my doings and sufferings, my active and passive obedience to your persons, and now the World is at an end, you see the end of my work, and the end of your faith, which is the Eternal Salvation of your souls; Oh how I have my wish, and you have your happiness; here you and I will live together, that I may for ever behold you, and that you may for ever behold me, and my glory; which no sooner said, but methinks I hear all those innumerable Saints in heaven to answer, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdome, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, and therefore unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Yea, methinks I hear every creature in heaven say, blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. Why this is their continual work in heaven; they have nothing else to do, but with joy and gladness to sing forth the praises of God, and of Christ, and that his mercy endureth for ever. And this likewise is comprehended under that notion of the Saints beholding of Christ, which compleatly makes up the proposition asserted, that Christ, or the glory of Christ, which the Saints shall behold to all eternity, is their all in all.

Thus far we have propounded the object which is Jesus carrying on the Salvation of his Saints in his coming again to earth, and taking them up with himself and his Angels into heaven; our next work is to direct you how to look unto Jesus in this respect, and then we have done.

Notes

• Rom. 8.30.
• Rev. 16.17.
• John 17.12.
• Rev. 10.7. ver. 6.
• Rev. 11.15.
• 1 Thes. 4.16.
• Pareus in loc.
• Rev. 6.10. Rev. 22.20.
• Rev. 11.15.
• Rev. 11.16, 17, 18.
• Rev. 11.18.
• Mortalibus ig∣notum; caelesti∣bus vero nunc revelatum a Christo. Parae∣us in loc. Psalm 110.1.
• Heb. 2.8.
• Psal. 110.6.
• Rev. 11.15.
• Rev. 3.21.
• John 5.22.
• 2 Pet. 3.10, 13.
• Ʋse.
• Luke 21.28.
• Rev. 12.19. Ver. 20.
• 2 Thes. 1.7. Jude 14.
• Dan. 7.10.
• Matth. 25.31.
• Matth. 24.29.
• Job 26.11.
• Matth. 24.29.
• Adventum Christi tantam lucem allatu∣ram ut ea solis & lunae splen∣dor obscuretur. Aretius in loc. Certissimum autem diem ju∣dicii magna majestate sore, ut rede & sol & luna dicantur obscurandi. Aretius in loc. Psal. 50.3.
• Suarez de renovatione mundi, in 3. part. Thomae. Psal. 97.3. Isa. 66.15. 2 Thes. 1 7, 8. Dan. 7.9, 10. 2 Pet. 3.10. 2 Pet. 3.11, 12.
• Matth. 26.64.
• Act. 1.9.
• Act. 1.11, 12. Dan 7.13.
• Matth. 24.30.
• Rev. 1.7.
• Heb. 1.7. Matth. 24.30. Id de impiis solum intelligo, ad quos plan∣ctus & luctus ille miserandus solum pertinet. Aretius in lo∣cum.
• Hab. 3.16.
• Rev. 1.7.
• Rev. 1.7. Hinc consequi∣tur Christum in eo judicio ci∣catrices vulne∣rum ostensurum tanquam tro∣phaeum infalli∣bile contra om∣nes suos bostes. Aret. in loco.
• Ʋse.
• Psal 50.1, 2, 3, 4.
• Cant. 8.14.
• Mat. 24.31.
• Heb. 1.13, 14.
• Psal. 103.20. Psal. 50.5.
• Ezek. 37.4, 5, 6.
• Anselmus in elucidario. Su∣arez. tuba ex aere. Doctor Slater, who faith I see not, but we may take it pro∣perly, &c. Cornelius a la∣pide. Mat. 24.31. 1 Cor. 15.52. 1 Thes. 4.16.
• †

  Piscator, Estius, Areti∣us & alii fere omnes.
• Cui omnia obe∣diunt elementa, petras scindit, inferos aperit, &c. Chrysost. in 1 Cor. 15.
• Numb. 10 1, 2, 3, 9.
• 1 Thes. 4.16.
• John 11.48.
• J••hn 5.25.
• John 5.28.
• Revel. 4.5. Rev. 5.6. Zach 4.10. Rev. 8.2.
• Mat. 25.41.
• Collos. 2.18.
• Exod. 19.16. —20.18. Heb. 2.2.
• Book 3. ch. 1. Sect. 4.
• Mat. 24.31.
• Exod. 19.16.
• 1 Thes. 4.15.16, 17.
• 1 Cor. 15.42, 43, 44
• Joel. 3.12.
• Acts 1.11, 12.
• 1 Thes. 4.17.
• Luke 17.37.
• Ʋse.
• 2 Thes. 1.10.
• Rom. 11.36.
• 2 Thes. 1.10.
• Heb. 1.3.
• 1 Cor. 2.9.
• Rev. 5.10.
• Rev. 7.9, 10, 11, 12.
• Rev. 19 7.
• Hos. 2.19, 20.
• Psal 45.9.
• Psal. 45.13.
• Ephes. 3.17.
• Psal. 16.11.
• Jude 24.
• Rev. 20.12.
• Aug. l. 20. de civitate Dei, cap. 14.
• Rom. 2.16. Orig. Com. ad Rom. 14.
• Rev. 13.8. — 17.8.
• Rev. 3.5.
• Isa. 43.25. —44.22.38.17. John 5.24.
• Mat. 12.36.
• Mat. 25.35, 26.
• 2 Cor. 8.7. Phil. 1.9. 1 Thes. 1.12.
• 2 Thes. 1.3.
• 1 Tim. 6.17, 18, 19.
• Act. 10.4.
• Mat. 6.6.
• Psal. 56.8.
• Cant. 5.1.
• Mat. 25.24.
• Luke 6.20, 21.
• Luke 12 32. Rom. 8.17.
• Eph. 4.13.
• 1 Tim. 4.8.
• Gen. 1.1.
• Ephes. 1.4.
• Rev. 3.21.
• Rev. 20.4.
• Mat. 19.28.
• Rev. 4.4.
• Rev. 6.16.
• Luke 19.27.
• In Majestate visuri sunt, in humilitate videre nolue∣runt; ut tanto distrinctius virtutem senti∣ant quanto contemptius in∣firmitatem de∣riserunt.
• Luke 16.23.
• Wisd. 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
• Rev. 3.20.
• Mat. 25.41.
• 1 Cor. 6.2.
• Dan. 7.22.
• Mat. 19.28. Jude 14.15. 1 Cor. 6.5.
• Jude 15.
• John 5.45.
• Rom. 2.16.
• Psal. 58.10.
• Rev. 16.17. Rev. 19.1, 2.
• Mat. 12.7.
• Mat. 25.42.44.45.
• Phil. 2.9, 10.
• Jer. 17.9, 10.
• Luke 17.34, 35, 36.
• Colos. 3.22, 23, 24, 25.
• Gen. 31.40, 42.
• Colos. 3.20. Ephes. 2.6. Prov. 30.27.
• Prov. 19.13.27.15.
• Mark. 12.29.
• Exod. 4.25.
• Heb. 13.17. Hujus commi∣nationis terror animum mihi concutit. Chrys. d
• 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11.
• 2 Thes. 3.16.
• Prov. 26.27, 28.
• Psal. 109.17.18.
• Cant. 6.10.
• 2 Pet. 3.10.
• †

  Mundus in melius immuta∣tus aperte ac∣commodabitur, hominibus in melius immu∣tatis. August. de civit. Dei. l. 20. c. 16.
• Polan. Syn∣tag. l. 6. c. 70.
• Job 14.12. Psal. 102.25, 26. Isa. 34.4.
• Rev. 6.14.
• Mat. 24.36. 2 Pet. 3.10.
• 1 John 2.17.
• Rev. 20.11.
• Rom. 8.21.
• †

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 Cor. 10.2. as, sometimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Rom. 4.11. 1 Cor. 2.15. So Chrysostome expounds it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 2 Pet 3.13.
• 2 Pet. 3.7, 10
• 11, 12.
• Rev. 21.1.
• Ʋse.
• Isa. 34.4. Isa. 51.6.
• Prov. 23.5.
• Col. 1.12, 22.
• Eph. 5.25.27.
• 2 Cor. 11 2.
• Joh. 17.10, 12.
• Joh. 17.22.23.
• Eph. 1.4.
• Prov. 8.23.
• John 6.27.
• Colos. 1.19.
• Isa. 61.1. Psal. 110.4. Psal. 110.1.
• Rev. 21.23.
• 1 Cor. 15.24.
• Luk. 1.33. Heb. 1.8.
• Mat. 28.18.
• 1 Cor. 15.28.
• Ʋse.
• Heb. 10.5.
• 1 Cor. 15.28.
• 1 Cor. 13.12. 1 John 3.2.
• 1 Cor. 13.12.
• Psal. 73.25.
• Ʋse.
• 1 Cor. 7.31.
• Psal. 139.17.
• Rev. 5.13.
• Rev. 21.22, 23.
• Luk. 24.26.
• 1 Cor. 15.28.
• Ʋt ipsam sub∣jectionem com∣municationem & conversionem credat futuram creaturae in ip∣sam substantiam vel essentiam creatoris. Aug. de Trinit. lib. 1 c. 8. & Aret. in loco. Job. 19.27. 2 Thes. 1.10.
• 1 John 3.2.
• Quest.
• Answ.
• Exod. 33.11, 20.
• Quest:
• Answ. Dr. Annesly Communion with God.
• 1 Cor. 13.12.
• 2 Cor. 12.4.
• Job. 19.27.
• Quest.
• Answ.
• 1 Cor. 13.12. Rev. 22.4.
• Quest.
• Answ.
• John 1.3.
• Orig. l. de Prin cipiis 3. c. 5.
• 1 John 3.2.
• 2 Cor. 5.7.
• John 3.3. John 17.24.
• Rev. 5.12.
• Rev. 1.6.
• Ver. 13.